Memoirs of my own times

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MEMOIRS 3^V "

/O^^^

OF

MY OWN TIMES

BY

GEJ^ERAL JAMES WILKIJSTSOJ^. \157

Remember that the ways of Heaven,

Though dark, are just: that oft some guardian power.

Attends unseen, to save the innocent !

But if high Heaven decrees our fall — O let us

Firmly await the stroke; prepared alike

To live or die.

Bbown's Babbarossa-

For patriots still must fall for statesmen's safety,
And perish by the country they preserve.

Savage.

IK THREE VOLUMES.
VOL. I.

PHILADELPHIA:

PRINTED BY ABRAHAM SMAIJj.
1816.

■V

(!^

District of Pennsylvania, to wit:

BE IT REMEMBERED, That on the fifth day of Feb-
ruary, in the forty-first year of the Independence of the
[|sEAi^] United States of America, a. d. 1817, GeneralJames Wil-
kinson, of the said District, hath deposited in this Office
the title of a Book, the right whereof he claims as Author, in the
words following, to wit :

" Memoirs of my own Times. By General James "Wilkinson.
Remember that the ways of Heaven,

Though dark. ai.=> jnct • that r,ft <=nm^ coai-dian power.

Attends unseen, to save the innocent !

But if high Heaven decrees our fall — O let us

Firmly await the stroke ; prepared alike

To live or die.

Brown's Barbarossa.

For patriots still must fall for statesmen's safety.
And perish by the country tliey preserve.

Savage.
In three Volumes."

In conformity to the act of the Congress of the United States,
intituled, " An act for the encouragement of learning, by securing
the copies of maps, charts, and books, to the authors and propri-
etors of such copies during the times therein mentioned:" And
also to the act. entitled, " An act supplementary to an act, entitled,
' An act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies
of maps, charts, and books, to the authors and proprietors of such
copies during the times therein mentioned," and extending the be-
nefits tliereof to the arts of designing, engraving, and etching his-
torical and other prints."

I). CALDWELL,
Clerk of the District of Pennsylvania

v-v'

TO THE

a

CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES.

AFTER the faitlifiil devotion of tlic best faculties of
my youth and my ago, to the service of our common
country ,• and after the cruel persecutions I have suffered
in your name, but without your authority, to gratify
personal revenge, and promote the sinister policy of
wicked and ambitious men ; as a testimony of my unim-
paired confidence in that justice and magnanimity, which
never errs except when deceived, tliesc Memoirs are re-
spectfully dedicated, by

Your fellow man,

and fellow citizen,

JAMES WILKINSON.

INTRODUCTION.

THESE Memoirs are offered to the indulgent con-
sideration of tlie reader, with no other apology for their
imperfections, than tiie assurance, that they must be at-
tributed rather to a want of competent powers than a
failure of zeal in their author.

Military, more than any other class of, men are expos-
ed to the jealousy, resentment, or caprice of rulers. Re-
mote from the scenes, where power and influence struggle
against each other for superiority, they are frequently re-
sorted to, as the sacrifices necessary to conceal the intrigues
or incapacity of a cabinet ; under strong excitements the
imagination too often usurps the province of reason, and
expectation, however tinged with extravagance, must to a
certain extent be satisfied, or disappointment, and in some
instances reprobation, will be the consequences; a sacrifice
must be made to appease popular clamour, and he who
plans or he who executes must fall. The minister is pro-
tected by executive patronage, and the general of conse-
quence is selected as the convenient victim.

The intentions, the integrity, and independence of my
pen will, I hope, defend its humble productions from the
unmerited fate of its persecuted master, I am, however,
sensible, that the anticipations excited by these Memoirs,
may be unpropitious to their effect, interspersed even as
they are with public documents and official correspondence
of interesting character; yet I do promise myself that the
transactions, anecdotes, facts, and reflections, which I re-
cord, will not be deemed altogether unworthy the attention
of the citizen, the soldier, the patriot, and the statesman.

The motives which gave birth to these Memoirs arc-
set forth in the first chapter of this volume. To cxhibic

VI l^TRODUCTIOX.

to his CQuntrymen a fellow citizen (such as he Ims been,
and such as he now is) of whom they have iieard much
and known little; who has been persecuted for his ser-
vices, and has served for his persecutions; to explain and
vindicate the conduct of an individual, who is not con-
scious that he has wronged a fellow man, or omitted any
occasion, within his circumscribed sphere, to discharge
his duty to his neighbour, and to his country, with zeal
and fidelity.

Such are the chief inducements which determined me,
in the eve of a life which has been devoted to the public
service, to undertake a task for which I was ill qualified
by habit or education 3 but in cntciiiig o« what I Consi-
dered a paramount obligation, I resolved to avail myself
of the latitude peculiar to Memoirs, to save from oblivion
the details of several incidents and occurrences, relative
to public men and measures, confined to my own breast,
or within the knowledge of a few surviving revolutionary
associates.

At the time I commenced tjie work, my ideas of typo-
graphical measure was so imperfect, that 1 conceived
1500 pages octavo would furnish ample scope for the
range I had assigned to my pen ; but my manuscripts
were then chiefly in New Orleans, and they did not come
to hand until February last ; a glance at the mass of forty
years growth removed my delusion, and after printing
more than two thousand three hundred pages, setting
aside the illustration of my persecutions, which unfortu-
nately have occupied a large space, I have not been able
to touch the last twenty-five years of my public services,
which embrace the most interesting and important scenes
of my life, pending the administration of Presidents
Wasiiixctost, Adams, and Jefferso^t, and comprehend
the four years Indian war, in which I was actively and
incessantly engaged. The occupancy of the lower Mis-
sissippi : conferences and treaties, with all the Indian na-
tions, within tiic limits of the United States, from the
Saut do St. Marie and La Prairie dcs Ciiiens to the

INTKOJDTrCTION. Ml

Creek nation : the reception of the province of Louisiana
from the French Prefect Laussat, under the purchase of
1803^ accompanied by circumstances little understood:
my government of Upper Louisiana : our difTercnce and
accommodation with the Spaniards in the quarter of the
Sahine : Colonel Burr's conspiracy; and a variety of
subordinate occurrences : during which period I made
eight voyages by sea, descended the Mississippi four
times, and traversed a trackless wilderness four times,
from the borders of Louisiana to the frontiers of Georgia,
through the Choctaw and Creek nations; having travelled
on public service in tlic years 1S02 — 3, through forests,
and by inlaml nftvigntiTJir, luurc tiiiin iG,ooo miles.

I tender this explanation to the reader to illustrate the
causes of the incompleteness of this work, as the official
correspondence and original manuscripts in my posses-
sion, could not be comprised in less than three additional
volumes of the size of those now publislied. The exhibi-
tion of these documents is due to my character, and will
not be uninteresting to the public. It is therefore my
purpose, should my life and health be spared by a bene-
ficent Creator, to avail myself of the interval of repose
from more necessary labours, to continue these Me-
moirs, in as regular a series of events as may comport
with a proper connexion and a clear exposition of the
several topics on which I propose to treat ; until 1 have
exhausted the most interesting incidents of the revolu-
tionary and Indian wars, and of subsequent public events^
down to the late peace.

The freedom with which I have treated President Ma-
dison, may be imputed rather to disappointed ambition
and personal resentment, than a sense of political obli-
gation ; and I confess the magnitude and notoriety of the
wrongs I have received from him, and by his authority,
furnish strong grounds for this suspicion ; yet if that
faithful monitor, which speaks within, has not deceived
me, I may conscientiously deny the imputation ; for if

VHl IKTKODUCTION.

I have on the severest scrutiny of my breast discovered
any resentment to the man, I declare it to be of that kind
of evanescent pain which leaves no sting behind ; per-
sonally, I from my heart acknowledge myself obliged to
liim, because his persecutions liave taught me humility^
and his attempt to wound my pride and impoverish my
old age, has furnished me leisure to turn my thoughts
to duties too often neglected, and, as far as may be al-
lowed to frail man, to prepare myself for that awful mo-
ment, which is to determine my fate for ever more. No !
I disclaim personal resentment, but will acknowledge
that I do most ardently detest the vices of the man, and

although the expositimi uf liis cliaiftotcr and conduct WaS

indispensible to the vindication of my own, candor re-
quires I should acknowledge an additional motive, in a
sense of duty to my country, under the most solemn con-
viction that he unites in his character the tyrannical dis-
position and cold hypocrisy of Tiberius, without either
his energy or partial respect for justice j that he has pro-
fessed principles in which he had no faith, to effect popu-
lar delusion for the accomplishment of his ambitious
views : I consider him an enemy to the constitution,
which he professed to admire, and swore to support,
treating his oath with disregard, and his early profes-
sions with indifference : I verily believe he has laid the
foundation of a monied aristocracy in these states, and
fostered a spirit of official speculation, which tends to
subvert the principle and spirit of the government : and
that he is desirous to give force and effectto these measures,
by the undue extension of executive influence, and the
increase of a standing army.

These conclusions rest upon about twenty years obser-
vation, and are supported by the opinion of gentlemen
who have had more frequent and favourable opportunities
of knowing Mr. Madison than myself. But if it be fair
to judge occult characters by the indiscretion of their
confidents, tl)en President Madison may be suspected by

INTRODUCTION. it

his warmest advocates of sentiments hostile to republican
institutions. The facts have not been sufficiently matured^
but I have strong reasons for belief that circumstances
raay, ere long occur, to justify the revelation of political
heresies avowed by a gentleman into whose hands Presi-
dent Madison not long since surrendered himself and the
executive functions. I scorn dark inuendoes, and there-
fore will declare, that the copies of certain manuscripts
now before me, the originals of which I am promised,
satisfy my judgment, that, but for the providence of God,
which dissolved a pernicious association, these states
would have been visited by calamities of wiiich the public
have no conception.

If I have in the explanation of misrepresentations, the
repulsion of wrongs, and the exposition of injuries,
which the perusal of tliese volumes will assure the reader
are not affected, strictured the conduct of secret assas-
sins, or open enehiies with severity, let it be ascribed to
the sensibility of a man of honour, barbarously and wan-
tonly aspersed ; and should names sometimes appear to
be introduced unnecessarily, the exposition has been im-
posed on me by the unity of circumstances undesired and
unsought for on my part.

Militfiry reflections were inseparable from the subjects
which occupied my pen, and I have occasionally extend-
ed them with views to the information of the youtliful sol-
dier ; for althougii we have an army, and a considerable
portion of inestimable worth, incorporated with much
deleterious matter, yet, the great principles of the pro-
fession are imperfectly understood. In speaking irreve-
rently of the war department, I have yielded to an irre-
sistible impulse, produced by the miserable mismanage-
ment of that bureau, which, instead of being confined to
the great and important provisions, indispensable to the
salutary conduct of the various branches of military ser-
vice, has been converted into a broker's shop, in which
commissionsare commuted for congressional subserviency,

(b*)

X INTRODUCTION.

and an office of petty details to pamper the vanity of the
incumbent, to blazon official importance, and advance a
system of disgraceful intrigue in and out of the army,
whilst the ordnance, clothing, subsistence, inspectors,
quarter-masters, hospital, and pay departments, are sub-
jects little understood ; nor can an accurate, comprehen-
sive knowledge of those departments, be acquired but
by education and experience, backed by attention and
diligence. The pay department, if possible^ the most de-
fective and the most corrupt of all, I make no reference
to the amiable, virtuous and respectable gentleman* at
its head or his bureau ; it was deranged by General Knox
in a moment of personal tavouritiam, aDuut twenty-five
years since, and we seem to have lost the art, however
simple, to cure the defects, which would save an hundred
thousand dollars expense, and would produce incredible
effects on the morals, manners, police, discipline, com-
fort, and health of the troops, subjects little understood,
and perhaps less regarded; under existing ordinances
and arrangements, the commanding officers of compa-
nies neither can nor ought to be strictly responsible for
the fitness of their men in the various," moral, and physi-
cal relations to the service.

Should I be condemned for the unreserved liberty with
which 1 have treated public men, measures, and institu-
tions, 1 must seek justification under the most distin-
guished writer of antiquity, who says, *' It is the first
law of history that the writer should neither dare to ad-
vance what is false, nor to suppress what is true ; that
he should relate the facts with strict impartiality, free
from ill will or favour ; tliat his narrative should distin-
guish the order of time, and, when necessary, give the
description of places ; that he should unfold the states-

* Mr. Robert Brent, who conducts the office under the forms in
which he received it, with unquestionable integrity and marked ac-
commodation.

INTRODUCTION. x'l

man's motives, and in his accounts of the transactions
and events, interpose his own judgment; and should Jiot
only relate what was done, but how it was done, and
what share chance, or rashness, or prudence had in the
issue : that he should give the characters of the leading
men, their weight and influence, their passions, their
principles, and conduct through life."* I had determined
to fulfil these injunctions of the Roman patriot, but found
my purpose arrested at the threshold by love of country,
and the respect which is due to the honourable descend-
ants of departed impostors ; and when the passions, prin-
ciples, and conduct through life, of many men who occupy

military and civil ."stations, were presented as proper
subjects for my pen, it dropped from my hand.

The political reflections wliich are scattered over these
sheets, have been forced upon my mind by the unavoida-
ble contrast of times past and present, and the rapid de-
cline of the government, from the simplicity, purity,
economy, and integrity, with which it has been adminis-
tered within my knowledge j and if I have manifested a
strong repugirance to the encouragement of a military
spirit, the augmentation of a standing army, and the
maintenance of a cumbrous, expensive, useless staff*, it
is because such institutions tend to foster a spirit of am-
bition and military glory, incompatible with free govern-
ments ; means produce ends ; a large disciplined army
and vaults filled with croxuns, bequeathed by the iron-heart-
ed Frederick William to his son Frederick the Great,
produced the Jirst Silesian war; and so it will be with tlie
United States under similar circumstances, if the prevail-
ing spirit of the times is indulged ; for with a greater
extent of territory than is favourable to the genius of our
government, the Canadas and Floridas have become
objects of political cupidity ; and this thirst for dominion
and our commercial rapacity, if not seasonably rcstrain-

* Cicei'o, Oration, Book II. Sec. Ixii. Ixiii.

Xii INTRODUCTION.

ed, will prematurely destroy our peace, our prosperity,
and reputation.* The result of the late war has been so
flattering to the power and the ambition of the executive
department of the government, and so intoxicating to a
great body of the community, that another will become
acceptable, as soon as we have taken breath ; and yet
every person with the slightest knowledge in military
affairs must know, that if we do not preserve the peace
of the country, we must at no distant day part with the
palladium of our civil rights; promptitude, secrecy, and
the sudden blow, constitute the soul of military enter-
prise; these belong to the governments of the old world;
whilst the constitution of thcQo fi'oo etatp.s impcriously
require deliberation, caution, and publicity, in the pro-
ceedings of their governments ; and it inevitably follows
that all military measures must be shackled with perni-
cious uncertainty and delay. The disadvantages are too
manifest on the side of tlie United States, to escape the
observation of the most ignorant, and when public cala-
mities press, the public mind is prepared to make every
sacrifice for the national safety ; means without respect
to the end are sought for, and away goes the constitution^
to extend the power and strengthen the hands of the exe-
cutive, and thus the very patriotism of the country is
employed to subvert its own free government ; for we
have proofs before our eyes, of the reluctance with which
power, once acquired, is renounced by those who enjoy
it.

Military glory! fascinating sound! bewitching sub-
ject ! but who profits by the acquisition ? the nation ! no,
but those wIjo live and feed on the nation. War, which

* I hear of an attempted negociatioii for an island in the Mediter-
ranean ; an insular possession for the American republic, in such a
remote quarter, appears so romantic, that I must doubt the fact; yet,
the report warrants the inquiry, which should not be neglected; be-
cause, if it be well founded, those whom it interests may have an
opportunity to examine the policy of the proposition.

ISTTRODUCTION.

xiit

subsists on the blood and treasure of the people, forms
the aliment of this alluring dame, glory, and is utterly
destructive of national happiness, which depends on
peace and tranquillity. I must not therefore be blamed
for indulging a transient reflection upon these alternatives,
which are as opposite in their nature as the poles. The
fate and fortunes of all countries in all ages, will bear
testimony in favour of my position, from remotest times
down to the late transcendant glory of France, and the
present deplorable condition of the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, whose government has reach-
ed the pinnacle of military fame, whilst its ill-fated sub-
jects are plunged into tlie abyss of wretchedness.

Military glory ! It has become the favourite theme of
our public councils, and the dominant passion of the
rising generation, whilst national happiness, neglected
and forgotten, has ceased to be an object of inquiry, and
is sinking into oblivion, under the pressure of luxury,
avarice, ambition and vain glory.

Yet the following contrast is so striking and impressive,
that I flatter myself it may rouse the most lethargic, be-
fore it be too late :

The companions of Military

glonj, are —
Wars,
Armies,
Immorality,
Vice,

Prodigality,
Battles,

Human slaughter,
Exactions,
Public debts.
Embargoes,
Penury,
Famine,
Pestilence,
"Widows and orphans.

The attendants on pacijic
policyf are —
Security,
Agriculture,
Religion,
Virtue,
Economy,
Ease and content.
Domestic security.
Taxes on luxury.
An overflowing treasury.
Commerce,
Riches,
Abundance,
Health,
A smiling progeny.

Xiv INTRODUCTION.

This contrast is neither strained nor affected j it is
drawn from natare, and does not exhibit an hundredth
part of the heart-rending horrors of war, nor the divine
blessings and tranquil enjoyments of peace. Of these
truths we have abundant proofs in our own times, and in
our country ; with the good and the ill before them, I
implore heaven so to direct the councils of the country,
as long, very long to save it from the scourge of na-
tions ; and I will close these reflections with an applica-
ble quotation from the writing of the sage, the patriot,
and the Christian, John Dickinson, a citizen as eminent
for wisdom, as he was conspicuous for private and social
virtues.

<< It is a mournful but instructive study to read the his-
tory of mankind. There we see their follies and their
vices depicted at full length, accompanied by their mise-
rable attendants. The prominejit feature is an aptitude
to plunge into warS' — •

" For man, too haughty in a prosperous state,
" Is blind, and heedless to his future state."

"A child may set fire to a house, but a whole city may
not be able to prevent the conflagration from levelling the
buildings in every street to the ground : " Ruant omnes
in sanguinem suam populi obstinatceque peritatis pcenas nunc
sponte persolvunt'^ — " All nations rush forward to the
effusion of their own blood, and voluntarily pay the pe-
nalties of their obstinate fierceness."

It is an observation of antiquity, that " they are happy
who grow wise by the misfortunes of others." This direc-
tion has been too little respected ; and men generally
choose « to grow wise by their own misfortunes." But
as truth is never the worse for being long neglected, I
hope and trust that my beloved countrymen will exert
the good sense they eminently possess, and stand upon
the guard of prudence and affection for themselves and
their postenty.

INTRODUCTION. XT

My name attaches responsibility to the works of my
pcn^ which I shall explain or defend against the animad-
versions of known characters ; and if I have been so un-
fortunate as to have done injustice to any person, 1 shall
proudly acknowledge the error, and abase myself to the
most implacable of my enemies ; but I must be permitted
to treat anonymous comments or newspaper pasquinades
as I have hitherto done, with silent indiflerence.

MEMOIRS

BY

GENERAL WILKINSON.

CHAPTER I.

J'relimina,rij Observations. — Motives for wnting meniairs. chap.
Summary of General Wilkinson's jirinciples. — His satis- ^'
faction with his country. — Consummation of a series of
xvrongs ascribed to President Madison. — Temper and
principles unchanged by the vicissitudes of life. — His birth,
—.4 brief account of his ancestors. — Loss of his father. —
Caprice if fortune. — Some account of General fVilkinson-s
relatives, and a glance at the state of society in 1768.—
First excursion from home ; the sensations it produced ;
is relieved by the effects of novelty. — Diminutive size of
Baltimore in ±770.'— Local attachments dissolved. — Hi$
education. — He arrives at Philadelphia, where he first
sees a vian under arms. — The impressions which it pro-
duced.— Effects of social intercourse on the morals, ^'c. of
individuals. — General Gage*s enterpi'ise against the town
of Concord, Massachusetts. — Its effects on the citizens of
Philadelphia. — General Wilkinson takes a decisive part
in tlie revolution. — The siege of Boston. — The stateof mo-
ral feeling in 1775 contrasted with 1816 — Good effects
of the resolution displayed by the provincials , on the ITth

MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. Jimef 177 o,'-^ Apathy and inaction of the British covH'
mander. — Comparative strength of the adverse forces.^-
Comparative influence of discipline and nunihers^ in mili-
tary operations. — Effects of the battle of Breed^s Hill.—-'
Power of the enemy. — His exertions would have affected
the Jlmerican cause. — American council of war fortunate-
ly rejects the proposition to attack Boston. — Letters of Ge-
neral Washington and General Greene. — Conduct of the
British general contrasted with that of the American. —
Possession of Dorchester Heights^ and consequences. — The
author appointed Captain. — Enemy evacuates Boston. —
Sketch of Breed'' s hill and the ruins of Charlestown. — First
visit to Boston. — General TVashington enters Boston. —
Captain fVilkinson proceeds with General Greene for J^ew
Fork. — AuGcdote of Lord Howe. — Incident respecting
Lieutenant Grover. — Reflections on military promotion.
— On dismission from service, without accusation or
trial.— On the recent conduct of Mr. Madison. — 0;?,
the population and improvements of the country , and
the progress of the government. — Appeal to the vigi-
lance and integrity of the people. — Ordered to Canada,
— Arrives at Albany — at Lake George — at St. Johi's.
'—Joins Arnold at La Chine. — Threatened by the Bri-
tish major. Faster, who had taken the post at the Cedars,
— Letter to General Greene, transmitted to Congress by
General Washington. — Foster retreats, and is pursued. —
— Conduct of Arnold at Fort St. Ann. — Convention with
. Foster. — Returns to Montreal, and leaves Colonel He
Haas in cominand. — Be Haas disobeys orders, and re-
turns to Montreal. — Captain Wilkinson appointed aid-de-
camp to Arnold. — Disobeys Arnold's order to seiae the
goods of the merchants of Montreal, — Despatched to So-
rel. — Meets General Carleton with the British army at Va-
rennes. — Warns Arnold of his danger. — Ordered to Cham-
blee. — Condition in ivhich he finds the army. — Arnold re-
treats by La Prairie. — General Sullivan's alarm upon
ihe appearance of Colonel Wayne's detachment. — Army
arrives at St. John's.— -General Arnold and Captain Wil-

GENERAL WILKINSON. 3

kinson reconnoitre the road to ChambUe^ and fall in witfi
the British advance. — Retreat and arrive at the Isle uux
ij^oix.— "Miraculous escape of the army. Rejlections on
the conduct of Sir Oiiy Carleton^ and the operations of the
British army. — The probable result of a different conduct,
— General Washington's apprehensions for the Canadian
army.' — Dishonourable conduct of General .Arnold. — Cap-
tain Wilkinson retires from General Arnold'' s family.

Some explanation of the views and the circumstances chap.
under which these memoirs appear^ is due to the public, "y^-so^^

Every observer must liave perceived, that in human
affairs, period and place have an irresistible influence
over the fortunes of men and nations j that the circum-
stance of bein.e; born ten or twenty years before or after
a particular event, or at a place an hundred miles east or
west of a particular spotj may give to the pursuits and
fortunes of an individual, as different a direction as that
of any two unconnected persons. Tlie reader's own
reflection's will apply the sentiment to the geographical
position of our country. The epocha in which it has
been my fortune to have lived, may be considered in the
magnitude and consequence of the events, to have ex-
ceeded every preceding period of equal duration ; yet
had the Revolution occurred twenty years sooner, it would
have anticipated my birth and twenty years later, it would
have found me in the tranquil pursuit of the profession
for which I was intended; in the first case I could not
have participated the triumph of the thirteen British Co-
lonies, and in the last, I should not have ran the same
ardent course which I shared with my youthful contem-
poraries, though in common with them, I might have
witnessed the sad abuse of liberty and independence,
which has prematurely sullied the character of our young
republic.

The stations I have filled, the observations I have Motives
made, and my intimacy with many eminent public cha- f"^ ^^■'''-
racters, from the dawn of the revolution to the present mernoirs.
day, enable me to throw many lights on the events of my
own times to correct some historical delusions j and to

Ii MEMOIRS BY

place several distinguished characters on ground, where
they may be viewed with more accuracy and justice than
they hitherto have been; und possibly to draw forth others
from that obscurity, in which artifice or envy, or the jea-
lousy of ambition and power, has too successfully con-
signed them for so long a time.

Though sufficiently sensible of my deficiencies as an au-
thor, and of the charge of vanity to which I may be ex-
posed, in seeking public applause by my feeble pen; a ne-
cessity more powerful than such apprehensions impels
me to this appeal. Still, I should be wanting in candour,
did I affect indifference to the favourable opinion of my
countrymen and of posterity.

But I owe it to my contemporaries, my family, and my
name, that the truth should be fairly told, whenever a
topic is touched, and that the same independence of mind
should be preserved, as if these memoirs were written in
a distant country, and were not to appear till after my
death.

Every man who enters into the trusts of a nation,
owes to it an account of the manner in which he has per-
formed his duty. A service of more than thirty years
under innumerable vicissitudes, has been closed in a man-
ner, which leaves it questionable with many, whether I
have been the victim of my own misconduct, or of minis-
terial perfidy — of private intrigue, or gross and vindic-
tive persecution ; which last has been the too frequent fate
of the most faithful and disinterested men in all ages, and
iinder every form of government, although the reproach
of such conduct has been particularly attributed to re-
publics.

Looking upon myself, at the close of a long agency,
as accountable to the great republican family of which I
am a member, and aware how liable the actions and cha-
racters of men are to be discoloured by misrepresenta-
tions, titese memoirs will serve to make tlie community
better a<qu minted with the transactions in which 1 have
been concerned, and the mode in which 1 discharged mj'
public duty, than personal prejudice and powerful in-

GENERAL WILKINSON. i

fluenCe have liitherto permitted. Having filled vai'ious CIIAP.
liigli trusts, and been frequently and successfully cm- '"
ployed in many affairs of great public importance, it will
not be impertinent nor improper, to give such an account
of my family, and the circumstances of my earlier years,
as shall leave nothing for enquiry on those subjects.

In reviewing ray past life, there docs not appear to mc
any thing for remorse, and but little for repentance ;
though certainly very much for regret. My transgres-
sions against the laws of my Creator have been too
many, but they have been venial; and I trust have found
their remission in a contrite heart. The principles of re-
ligion instilled into me by a pious protestant mother,
have always been alive in my bosom ; and the political
creed I imbibed in the cradle of the revolution, has form-
ed the undeviating rules of my conduct, under every
change of power and vicissitude of fortune. I have lived
in the service of my country, to which my life, labours,
and best faculties have been zealously devoted, to the en-
tire neglect of my private affairs. I have suffered many
and grievous persecutions, alike unprovoked and unme-
rited, which were frequently produced by the most meri-
torious acts of my life.

The patrons and associates of my early youth (among
Avhom I feel some pride in numbering the late Colonel
"William Fitzhugh of Maryland, to whose memory I feel
a sincere pleasure in offering this tribute of gratitude,)
were men of elevated sentiment, who « worshipped honour
as a real good,*' and taught mc to respect it as the richest
inheritance. From such associations I learned to avoid
particular vices, and to form my principles on foundations
which have supported and consoled me, with cheerful
health and a warm heart, at a period of life w hen others
arc sinkitig under disease and despandency. With a san-
guine temperament and ardent a 9'cct ions, feeling has pre-
vailed more than judgment, in directing my career, and
fame has presented allurements more inviting to me than
that rortuMO, willioiit whicli, in the present liincs, virtue
and niCiit much fliore exalted must become a fiail de-

r^-

5

MEMOIRS BY

lie owes

every
thing' to
his coun-
try, and
can re-
proacli it
witli no-
thing.

His

v/rongs
ascribed
to Presi-
dent Ma-
dison.

pentleuce. Ferliaps I have been too confiding, or not
sufficiently mistrustful of mankind, particularly of men
invested with delegated power, which they are too apt to
convert to their own uses or abuses.

The justice of a nation is too often confounded witb.
the acts of its agents, and the character of a government
may be compromised by a weak or corrupt administra-
tion, contrary to the sense of the nation. It is perhaps
to this perversion of authority, the frequent changes ob-
servable in other governments may be attributed, and
points out the peculiar necessity of vigilance and reform
in our own : therefore, wlieu speaking of my personal
wrongs, I disclaim all intention of reproaching my fellow
citizens, the vast majority of whom are still innocent,
honest, generous, and just. I certainly looked to tlie jus-
tice of the government for protection in my old age, after
a life of services which liave been acknowledged by the
heroes and sages of the revolution. 1 could not suspect
that to propitiate the concealed vengeance, which lurked
under the affected clemency aiKl justice of President Ma-
dison, I should have been sacrificed to make room for
panders and sycopljants, many of them distinguished only
for moral turpitude, and unworthy of public trust. I was
deceived, and, after passing my grand climacteric, have
been despoiled of my hard-earned military fortune, and
am left with the consciousness of what I have done, and
what I liave suffered, for the republic, as a recompense
for the devotion of my life to her service.

Were it pardonable to compare where we cannot emu-
late, I should say with the great Phocion, " that the same
evil fortune which combats against worthy mens often pro-
duces complaints^ reproaches and calumnies^ instead of those
honaurs and recompenses which they merit by their labours ,
and thus diminishes that confjknce to which their virtue is
eniifled.-' Habituated from my birth to social refinements
and the luxuric^s of the table, except when professional
duties required self-denial, those who knew me only by
the exterior, believed that penury and privations would
affect my repose. Suci» illusion's are natural to the irre-

GENERAL WILKINSON. 5

ijolutc and effeminate,- but as my mind has never been chap.
beguiled by prosperity, vSO its firmness cannot be shaken
by adversity; and I now feel more pride, independence, and
true dignity, in conforming my life to my circumstances,
than I ever experienced at the head of a column glitter-
ing in arms.

Bowing myself submissively before tltc Most High,
without a murmur at his decrees, I present these memoirs
of my own times, as an jegis to that enmity and calumny
which, having pursued mc in so many forms, cannot be
expected to refrain from tlie feast jjresented by these vo-
lumes. But should they furnish a salutary lesson to my
€ontemporaries or posterity — should my misfortuHes ov
my errors prove useful, and the enmity which I have ex-
perienced serve as a beacon to other men, I shall feel per-
fectly recompensed.

If the accidental circumstance of birth can found aHisbirtt,
claim to gratitude, the urbane, loyal, generous, gallant tTon'^fo?'
state of Maryland, has a right to draw upon my affec- liis native
tions without limitation. I was born in Calvert county,
and have always gloried in my natale solum. The place
of my nativity is near Patuxent river, about three miles
from a decayed village,* rendered conspicuous by tlic
debarkation of the British detachment under command
of Major-general Ross, the 18th of August, 181-i, which
sacked and conflagrated the national edifices at the city
of Washington.

As we cannot choose our parents, and all enter the
world in the same helpless condition, it seems natural
that little account should bo made of fiimily ; yet, to anti- •

cipate curiosity, and to forcstal enquiry, i hope 1 may be
permitted to introduce my ancestors to the reader, with-
out incurring the suspicion of affectation or vanity.

From the testamentsj- of my ancestors Robert Skinyer, A brief ac-
Thomas Holdsvvorth, James Heighe, and Joseph Wilkin- uisances-

• Benedict, on the right bank of the river Putuxent, called after
tjie Chrislian name of one of the barons of liultiniore, who were the
proprietors of Uie province.

t See Appendix, Ngs. I. II. III. aiid IV.

» MEMOIRS BY

son, it will appear that my family is ancient and respec-
table ; they were all from England; and the three first
t~ s ancT emigrated to the province of Maryland in the 16th cen-
theirresi- tury, probably whilst the site of Philadelphia, now thejirst
city of the United States, was still covered with its native
woods. I know little more of my paternal grandfather
than his will records; he was a commercial man, emi-
grated from London to Maryland in 1729, married a
daughter of William Skinner, M. D. and in consequence
of ill health, returned to England in 1734, where he soon
after died, and according to his brother-in-law and phy-
sician, "William Skinner, who accompanied him, was bu-
ried in St. Paul's church yard, London. The active de-
sultory engagements of my life, have prevented further
enquiry after this branch of my family.

My ancestors originally settled on a tongue of land,
formed by Chesapeake bay and Patuxent river, where
my numerous relations still reside, and maintain the most
respectable standing in society; they have declined in
general political influence, yet united have a great pre-
ponderance in the politics of the county. This tract,
remote from great public thoroughfares, and highways,
secludes its inhabitants from general intercourse with the
world ; simplicity of manners and innocence of charac-
ter, are of course preserved, and their hospitality is of
the heart, untinctured with ostentatiuii or sordid inte-
rests, and but for the political feuds which divide them,
there could not be found in the whole union a more libe-
ral, a less ambitious, a kinder or happier community.
The loss I had \hc misfortune to lose my father before I had
father reached my seventh year. He paid the debt of nature
the 4th of May, 1764, in the tiiirty-third year of his age,
after a short illness. I recollect perfectly the circum-
stances of his death and funeral, lie was beloved by his
acquaintance, and his loss cast a gloom over his neigh-
bourhood. His last words to me w ere graven on my me-
mory, and have been ever associated with my remem-
brance of him : " My son, if you ever put up with an in-
sult. I w ill disinherit vou.'^ I mention this trivial cir

GENERAL WILKINSON. 9

cumstancc, in the hope that respect to the injunctions of CHAP,
a father may extenuate some errors of my life. lie was '•
taken ill the same night, and never rose from his hed. I (j.,,j,.„.g ^f
trust I may he excused for mentioning another incident, foimue,
which deeply interested the fortunes of my family : — My
father, to preserve his health and increase his property,
purchased 500 acres of land lying on the Tybcr and Po-
tomack, whicji ])rohably comprchentis the President's
house; but at that time, about 1762, the present seat of
government was considered so remote from the early set-
tlements of the province, that my mother objected to tlie
removal on account of the distance, and my father trans-
ferred the property to Thomas Johns, esq. a friend and
contemporary, of his neighbourhood, to whose family it
proved an auspicious contract; but, in tliis case, the be- ^
ncfactor did not long enjoy the prosperity he had pro-
moted.

I am the second of four children ; my sisters, who are Some ac-
iunior to me, still live, and are married to Edward Rev- f"""'^ °^
nolds, and James Morsel, esquires, hotii of my native coun- diate rela-
ty, men of respectability and fortune : my brother. Gene- a'yia^cc
ral Josepli Wilkinson, in the enjoyment of ease and inde- ^t the
pendcnce, continues to reside near the spot of our birth, society In
respected and beloved for his integrity and benevolence, I'^S.
in spite of the political strife, which forms the atmos-
phere of republics, and divides almost equally the pre-
eminent state of Maryland.

I remember that I wept for the loss of my father ; but
the misfortune was compensated, as far as it could be, by
the fostering care of a noble-minded mother, to whose ex-
cellent understanding, tender care, and virtuous precepts,
I am indebted for a sound constitution, my sense of jus-
tice, and of the Christian faith.

In the times of which I write, there were but two se-
minaries of learning in the three contiguous provinces ;
viz. the college of William and Mary in Virginia, incor-
porated in 1619, and tlie college, academy, and charity
school of Philadelphia, incorporated in 1753. There was
VOL. I. B

10 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. Tcry little intercourse in those days between the colo-
nists ; comtorts and even necessaries were imported from
the mother country ; but by the dispersion of stores and
magazines over the southern provinces, every man was
supplied with the productions of Europe near his door.

A journey of t ao hundred miles, within my remem-
brance, was viewed as a more distant and perilous adven-
ture, than a voyage to Cliina at this time ; my honoured
mnther might, therefore, be excused for considering
Georgetown, now the district of Columbia and the seat
of empire, about forty miles distant from her residence,
with the intervention of a large river, the back woods
or frontier settlement of Maryland.

I could recite a hundred youthful incidents, which in-
dicated the enterprise and activity of my future life, but
they would be of little interest to my readers. My first
excursion was to the town of Baltimore, for the purpose
of being inoculated for the small-pox. This disease in
the natural way, was as frightful in those days as the
plague in London in the year 1665, and inoculation was
considered an occult art, professed at that period in the
southern states by a Doctor Stevenson only, who by his
success acquired great celebrity.
His first It was my first absence from the neighbourhood of my
excursion native domicile, the first separation from ray only parent
home. whom I worshipped, and the emotions produced still vi-
brate on my heart; as soon as my horse had passed the
bounds of my former rides, my bosom was affected by
sensations I had never before experienced; my gaiety
forsook me, and my young heart was distended with
anxiety : I had left behind me every thing I loved, and
could attach no interest to what was before me ; seventy
miles appoared an endless journey; at every step the
chords of my affections wei-e strained, and at the ap-
proach of sunset, I would have given the world to return
home, t was, hov^ever, under the guidance of a protec-
tor, and obliged to prosecute my journey ; but as I ap-
proached Baltimore, my youthful mind was attracted by
the novelties, which the place even then presented ; and

GENERAL WILKINSON. 11

when I entered Market street, extending from Gay street chap.
to a short distance west of Calvert street, I thought my- *
self transported to another region. The active scenes <>f uiminu-
business, the commixture, passage and rc-passage, oftiyesiz*
men, women and children, wagons, drays, carrs, dogs °ownV
and horses, and the numerous tawdry signs swinging R''^'-.
over the street, excited a degree of admiration and asto- iyjq'
nisliment, which abated my solicitude for what I had left
behind. Sweet ductility of the human mind! wisely or-
dained by a beneficent Creator to dissipate the cares, to
soothe the sorrows, and blunt the edge of afflictions
which « man is heir to."

There were then but few buildings nortli of the creek
which now divides the city; and to reach Stovenson's
folly, for such was the reproacliful designation applied to
the doctor's unfinished mansion, because it was some-
what more conspicuous than those of his neighbours, it
was necessary to cross a common of near half a mile.

The class with which I was inoculated, consisted of
John Custis and James Wormley of Virginia, James and
Perry Frizby of Maryland, with half a dozen other
young gentlemen from the southern provinces, of whom,
I believe, I am tiie only survivor. Feeling no apprehen-
sion from the disease, I paid little respect to the pre-
scribed regimen ; and although my physician frequently
attempted to alarm me, by exclaiming, *« Young gentle-
man, by Jasns, you will he jjepjjered,^' I escaped with a
slight eruptive fever, and was marked by a single pus-
tule.

The amusements into which I entered with my new
companions employed all my time, and the natural gaiety
of my disposition, conspiring with the diversions by
which I was encompassed, had so far silenced my par-
tiality for the scenes of my birth place, that at the end
of two months, 1 felt some reluctance in withdrawing
from the attractions of Baltimore town. Thus were the
bonds of local attachment rent ; the walnut and tl»e cedar
and the cherry trees, under whose shade I had sported —
the lawn on \^hich I had gambolled, and tlic limpid fouii-

Ig MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, tain from which 1 had drank, no longer delighted sny re-
'• collection, a»jd the sweetest ligaments of human affec-
tions were broken.
General jt would be unnecessary to say, my education was su-
son'sedu- perficial, because the reader will have abundant proofs
cation. gf the fact. I read the Latin classics, and studied the
inferior branches of the mathematics, under William
Hunter, a private tutor, and a graduate of tiie university
of Glasgow. I was taken too early from school, and put
to the study of medicine under my relation Dr. John
Bond, an cleve of his uncle Dr. Tiiomas Bond, formerly
of Philadelphia. Tliis gentleman had served in a provin-
cial regiment on the borders of Canada, during the war
of 1756, and like an old soldier, took pleasure in recount-
ing the details of battles, particularly Braddock's defeat
near Pittsburgh, and Wolfe*s victory on the plains of
Abraham ; and to this circumstance 1 ascribe my earliest
military predilections.
Is sent to In my seventeeth year, my honoured mother sent me
''hiil^'^'^^ to the medical school in Philadelphia. I ascended the
Chesepeak from Plump point, the seat of my maternal
grandmother Heigiie, to Perch creek., ffem whence I
crossed the isthmus to Hamburgh, and ascended the De-
laware to Piiiladelphia, which at that time was the most
prompt and convenient route of communication ; I ar-
rived in the evening, and understanding a detachment of
soldiers were quartered in the northern liberties, I the
next day visited the barracks, where four companies of
the IStli or Royal Irish regiment of infantry, and a com-
pany of Royal artillery were stationed. On approaching
the gate, for the first time in my life I beheld a man un-
der arms, in complete uniform; he was a centinel on post,
whose appearance rivetted my attention: after surveying
him attentively from head to foot, I passed without ob-
struction and entered the barrack yard, where the first,
and I may say only, object that struck my eyes, w as the
troops on parade at open order, which exhibited a more
impressive spectacle tlian I had ever seenj indeed, I was
fascinated, and gazed with astonishment at the prompt-

GENERAL WILKINSON. 18

iiess and uniformity of the manual exercise \vliich tliey
performed; hut when the ranks were closed, and the
line was wheeled into column, — marched, — recovered its
ground, — closed and displayed, I was struck with the
idea of a painted wall, hroken in pieces and put in mo-
tion; it appeared like enchantment, and my hosom throb-
bed with delight; my feelings were now inlisted — the
latent propensities which had been excited by my relation
Doctor Bond, were awakened — and from that day I felt
the strongest inclinations to military life. I continued in
Philadelphia from 1773 to 1775, at which time the medi-
cal class exceeded sixty, of whom Doctor Read of
Charleston, is the only surviving acquaintance within
my recollection. Whilst jjursuing my studies, I sought,
by imitating the best example^, to acquire gracefulness of
address and case of manners, and these inclinations were
seconded by my solicitude, to merit the acquaintance of
the most accomplished and respectable of the fair sex,
whose ages corresponded with my own. This conduct
was not in strict unison with the taste of all my class-
mates, and exposed me to sarcasms that terminated in an
adventure, which left me to the free exercise of my own
discretion; and to the connexions formed at tiiat period,
I owe the insuperable aversion I have ever had to liber-
tinism and profligate dissipation ; although no man ever
indulged more freely, or tasted more exquisitely, those
refined enjoyments which spring ont of the reciprocities
of congenial spirits, and the intercourses of virtuous sen-
sibility.

My acquaintance with INLijor Hamilton, Captain Hamil-
ton, Lieutenants Blackwood, Bruyere, Trist and other
otHcers of the Royal Irish, was not favourable to my pro-
fessional studies, but it was extremely grateful to my
taste; and if the contest which commenced in 1775, had
not taken ph\cc, it is highly possible I might have lived
and died in the British service.

In the spring of I77db I nuule. a visit to New York,
where 1 became acquainted with Thomas Barclay, Be-

14 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, veiiy Robinson, Frederick Philips, Steven Watts,* and
'• several other young gentlemen, with whom I parted in
the revolution, but for whom I shall cherish unceasing
respect and esteem, because they interested my early af-
fections, and iiave grown grey in honour. At the sam«
period, I formed an acquaintance with Morgan Lewis,
and William Smith, who took active parts in the revolu-
tionary war, deserve the favour of their country, and will
enjoy my respect and affection while life endures.
General The abortive enterprise of General Gage against the
Smrise" *^^'" ®^ Concord in Massachusetts, on the 19th of April,
ajjainst 1775, was unwise and unn;?ccssary; diminutive in its ob-
jects, but important in its consequences. When the re-
port of this act of open hosliiity readied Philadelphia,
the deepest gioom overcalt the wisole population; the
blow was sudden and unexpected ; the sword had been
drawn; blood had been spilt; and lives had been lost.
The citizens were seen assembled in crowds at the cor-
ners of the streets ; alarm and terror were excited; but
the bitter animosities of civil contest still slumbered; the
whole city exhibited a scene of funereal gloom and still-
ness ; men spoke in whispers, as if afraid of being over-
heard, and the solemn peal which issued from the bells of
Christ church, gave to the conjuncture an air of mourn-
ful solemnity, and oppressed with sorrow the unoffending
loyal subjects of the largest city in British America, But
this submission was sliort-lived ; it soon gave way to in-
dignation, resentment, and denunciations.
General About the period of this memorable event I return-
Wilkinson ej t(, Maryland, and sat down in the practice of medicine
mences near the confluence of the Potomack and Monocacy rivers,
tbepiac- j5y|- i\^Q aff"air of the 19th of April, had produced a gene-

ticeof

medicine.

* He entered the service of his sovereign, and was desperately
wounded in the affair of General Herkimer on the Mohawk river, be-
tween the Oriska village and Fort Schuyler, and was left on the field
of battle, where he lay several days in agony, before he was discover-
ed and relieved ; and I understand died not long since in England..
^ly pen cannot add to tlie respectability of the other gentlemen.

GENERAL WILKINSON. H

Val spirit of resistance tliroughout the colonics, and the CHAP.
preparations were correspondent with the general feel- *'
ings. My youth had not allowed me time or means, to
investigate the merits of the controversy : my impressions
1 received from the highest source of wisdom and virtue,
from those dignified sages of the country, wIjo composed
the first Congress; wliose policy was seconded by my
feelings, and supported by that predilection for arms
which I had previously imbibed.

I claim no credit for the part I took, when, with a Takes a
burst of entl^usiasm, the recollection of which warms my pj^j.t in fa-
heart with self-applause, I declared for my n:\tive coun- vourof
try, and bound m}-^ destiny to hers. It was, in truth, an imion.
impulse which characterised the times. The united co-
lonies exhibited, in tliose days, a spectacle awful indeed
to usurpers, but charming to the friends of civil liberty ;
of a whole people rising with one accord, to claim the
right of self government, which man derives fiom his
Creator : — If indecision was known at all, it was the mo-
mentary pause of Csesar at the Rubicon. The feelings
of ordinary men were elevated to graudour, and all
classes felt themselves ennobled by a contest for liberty.

I made my noviciate in arms and first shouldered a
firelock in Georgetown,* Potomack, having associated
myself with an independent company, commanded by
Captain Thomas Richardson, a Quaker, from Rhode
Island, in which the meritorious, urjfortunate General
Lingan, who a few years ago fell a victim to the politi-
cal feuds which disfigure our country, was a subalternv
This company was drilled once a week, and tiie ground
of parade was a small spot of table land, hanging over
Rock creek, below the upper bridge. I resided thirty
miles from the place of parade, but was punctual to the
rendezvous.

In this temper of the colonists, the deliberate attack of
the provincials at Breed's hill, the 17th of June, under
the orders of General Gage, became the signal for a ge-

• Now the District of Columbia.

iQ MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, iicral appeal to arms, and determined the Congress to
^- act upon the offensive; troops were levied; the towivof

^"^"^''^^^ Boston invested ; and General Washington appointed
commander in chief. These incidents excited my natu-
ral ardour, and determined rae not to await the tai"dy
proceedings of committees and conventions, then engaged
in organising a regiment, afterwards commanded by Co-
^ lonel William Smallvvood ; but, unrestrained by the ad-
monitions of friends and relations, I abandoned my pro-
fession for ever, and at my own expense repaired to the
camp before Boston, in September, and a&^a volunteer,
joined tiie rifle corps under the gallant Colonel William
Thompson of Pennsylvania.

On entering the camp near Boston, I was struck with
the familiarity which prevailed among the soldiers and
officers of all ranks ; from the coloisel to the private, I
observed but little distinction; and I could not refrain
from remarking, to the young gentlemen with whom I
made acquaintance, that the military discipline of their
troops was not so conspicuous as the civil subordination
of the community in which I had lived.

The siege The siege of Boston was attended by no signal occur-

of Boston, j-cjicg. tjie a investissemeni'' was as complete as the na-
ture of the ground, and the extent of the lines of circum-
vallation, would permit. I cannot amuse the reader with
intrepid sorties nor desperate assaults, but I will endea-
vour to instruct him, by an illustration of the effects of

The sym- habit on the human mini!, drawn fiom a contrast of the

pailiiepof sensibility of that day with the insensibility of the pre-

1775 con- t' ¥ V i

viasted sent. The provincials broke ground at Plowed hill, Au-
^'}^}'}}}P^^ eustSSth, about one mile north west, and in front, of the

01 JO 10. *^

British post at Bunker's hill, on the peninsula of Charles-
town. A detachment of riflemen, ordered to cover the
working party, took post in an orchard, and under cover
of stone fences in advance. As soon as the enemy dis-
covered the workmen, they opened a battery upon them,
and kept up a brisk cannonade, by which volunteer
Simpson, of Pennsylvania, had one of his heels and an-
cles so much shattered, that a mortification ensued, and

GENERAL WILKINSON. 17

he died m a few days. This young man was visited and chap.

consoled during his illness, hy General Washington in
person, and hy most of the officers of rank hclonging to
the army. Every exertion of the faculty was made to
save him, and his death hccame a theme of common sor-
row in an army of twelve or fourteen thousand men. I
witnessed the effect on my arrival, two or three weeks
after.

On another occasion, Nov. 10th, the enemy, availing
himself of a high tide that inundated a causeway which
connects Lechmore point with the main, crossed Charles
river, and debarked a detachment to carry off several
cattle which were feeding on the insulated spot. As soon
as this movement was discovered, the rifle corps was or-
dered to dislodge the marauders, and forded on the cause-
way waist deep: but the enemy perceiving our determi-
nation, retired to their boats, and were out of the range
of musket shot before we reached tlie point of their de-
barkation. A sloop of war which lay in the river open-
ed her batteries on us ; and a private soldier in a recum-
bent posture, was grazed on the ribs by a grape shot,
which lacerated the muscular and intercostal integuments
in such a manner, as to leave the appearance of an aper-
ture into the cavity of his body, by which the faculty con-
cluded the ball had entered, and of course the life of the
poor soldier was despaired of. The solicitude of the
corps, from the colonel to the ranks, was so strongly ex-
cited by the hopeless condition of this man, as to affect
the repose of the camp j and if money could have as-
sured his recovery, the fortunes of the corps would
have been pledged : contrary, however, to all calcu-
lations, the wounded soldier breakfasted heartily the
next morning, and in spite of the predictions of the sur-
geons, to the great satisfaction of his officers and com-
rades, was on his legs in a week, and at duty in a
month.

Compare the general sympathy and fellow feeling ma-
nifested in the case of these humble individuals, at the camp
before Boston in the year 1775, with the unheeded scenes
VOL. L C

1.

^B MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, of senseless slaughter, which we have recently behelcT,
^' wherein the blood of thousands of brave men has been
wantonly wasted, to promote the ambitious views of in-
dividuals, and establish a character for national courage,
which had been most solemnly recorded with the blood of
the enemy almost half a century ago — in the triumphs of
Trenton, of Princeton, of Saratoga, of Monmouth, of
King's mountain, of Stoney point, of Powles hook, of
the Cowpens, of Yorktown, of Eutaw, and many other
places ; and I will appeal to the casuist and the philoso-
pher to decide, whether the character of our country has
improved or deteriorated in the mild virtues, which form
the sweetest traits of human character, and most effec-
tually promote the happiness of mankind.

Tlie resolution displayed by the provincials on the 17th
of June, 1775, produced effects auspicious to the Ameri-
can cause, and co-extensive with the war; for although
compelled by superior numbers to yield the ground, the
obstinacy of their resistance put an end to that confidence
with which they had been first attacked, and produced
measures of caution bordering on timidity. Such are the
illusions to which enlightend man is subject. There can
be no doubt, tliat we were indebted to these causes for tlie
unmolested occupancy of our position before Boston,
which to complete the investissement was necessarily ex-
tended from Roxbury on the right, to Mystic river on the
left, a rectilinear distance of about four miles, but by tlie
only practicable route at least three leagues. The town
of Boston is situate on a peninsula, united to the main
at Roxbury on the south, by a narrow tongue of land,
about a mile in length, which opened directly upon our
extreme right. On the north, it is separated from
the peninsula of Charlestown by Charles' river, half
a mile wide. This peninsula is connected with the con-
tinent, by a short narrow causeway immediately under
Bunker's hill, from whence tlicre is a convenient and'
prompt communication of three quarters of a mile to
Plowed lui!, our extreme left, and a main road leading
tQ oar head r^uartcrs at Cambridge, two miles distant.

GENERAL WILKINSON,. iQ

These avenues being defended by strong works, difficult chap.
of access, the relative position of the two armies put it '
in the power of tlie British commander, to concentrate inaction of
his main force at cither extremity of Ijis line, and carry the Bri-
an attack against our right or left at his discretion ; in mander.
which he must have been successful, because he could
have masked his movements, taken us by surprise, and
beaten us in detail — our force being unavoidably too
widely extended, and too much scattered for seasonable
co-operation. These opinions are not the conceptions of
the present moment; they are founded on the relative
position and tlie comparative strength of the adverse
corps, as viewed at the period, and will bear the strict-
est scrutiny.

The British army under General Gage in Boston, con- Compara-
sisted of twenty regiments* of the line, which ought not strength
to be estimated at less than 10,000 men,f as he had suf- o' t'le
fered no diminution of his force but in the affairs of Lex- corps^*
ington:}: and Breed's hill,§ and in those his loss could not
have exceeded seven hundred, even if we admit onc-third
of his wounded to have died, which is an undue propor-
tion in a combat of small arms. The continental army,
of which General Washington took the command at Cam-
bridge, July Sd, irre, was rated at 14,500 militia,|| with-
out a shade of uniformity in its organization, pay, dress,
arms, or exercise ; destitute of subordination and disci-
pline, and fluctuating from day to day, as the caprice of

• General Washington's letter to the President of Contjress, Jans
•tth, 1776.

f The Annual Register, vol. xix. p. 151, adverting to ilie evacuation
of Boston, March 17th, 1776, almost nine months after General Wash-
ington took the command at Cambridge, says the army did not exceed
at that time 9000 healiluj and effective men ; to which of sick, conva-
lescent, seamen, and loyalists, 2000 might fairly be added.

+ On the 19th of April, the British had 208 wounded, 65 killed, and
20 made prisoners, all ranks included.

§ On the 17th of June, they had 828 wounded, and 226 killed. An'
nual Register, vol. xviii. p. 128 — 135.

I! Gordon's History, vol. i. p. 367.

go MEMOIRS BY

CHA.P. the men inclined them, to absent tliemselves or to rejoin
^' their colours. At a later period, the General's command
was reduced to 9,600 men. This " might be considered
the numerical force of the two armies; but effective mili-
tarij strength consists not so much in numbers, as in exact
discipline and judicious appointments. In battles which
depend on professional siiiil and experience, numbers
without discipline, produce disorder, panic, and defeat.
Our men, who were more than a match for the enemy
in disorderly skirmishes, or behind breast-works and
other impediments, when brought into regular action in
open space, would have been overwhelmed by their own
confusion. Besides, in the month of August, the car-
tridges in the men's boxes,* together with the powderj
in magazine, would not have sufficed for twenty-four
rounds a man; and the artillery was so badly supplied,
throughout the siege, that the General dared not employ
his batteries against the town, but partially and spa-
ringly.
Effects of To the cool courage and obstinacy displayed in the

the battle jj^ttlc of Breed's hill, and tlie moraLinfluence of the

of H reeds v%

hill. bloody lesson, which Sir William Howe received on that

day, we must ascribe the military phenomenon, of a mot-
ley band of undisciplined American yeomanry, scarcely
superior in number, holding an army of British vete-
rans, in close siege for nine months ; and hence it
might fairly be inferred, that our independence was es-
sentially promoted by the consequence of this single
battle. Tlie firmness, prudence, and vigilance, of Ge-
neral Washington, and the general officers associated
with him, were well adapted to profit by these first ad-
tower vantages. But, if while we lay at Cambridge, the enemy
had advanced against us from Boston, we should have
been beaten and dispersed ; our artillery and munitions
of war must have been captured; and the public confi-

* General Washington's letter, Jan. 30th, 1776. He did not allow
the men to have more than twelve or fiiteen cartrid:jes at r\.time.
f General Washington's letter, AlI^^ 4lh, 1775.

ofthe
enemy,

GENERAL WILKINSON. St

dence would have been withdrawn from tlie only man cn.\F.
capable of conciliating local habits and prejudices, and
harmonizing the discordant materials of which the army
of 1776 was composed ; or if the army had been with-
drawn from the position in m hich General Washington
found it, the effect would have been the same : indeed,
under the favourable auspices of the season, tlic impa-
tience and caprice which form predominant traits in the
character cf my countrymen, had generated some discon-
tents and murmurs against General Washington, for his
supposed inactivity before Boston. This fact, among a
thousand otliers, shows how difficult it is at a distance to
judge of the conduct of men entrusted with military ope-
rations. The public did not know at that time, that the
enemy possessed the power to dislodge the General at
their discretion ^ and that he was disposed to hazard the
desperate enterprize, of attacking the town in battcaux
by water from Cambridge river. But his plan was reject- Proposi-
ed by a council of war, which frustrated his purposes, for- !!"^j.^g^*^'
innately for his fame and for the country; as the sta-tcn, re-
tionary battcrie*K)f the enemy in West Boston, indepen- ^ounVil'of
dent of his light train, would have prevented our fragile war.
transports from reaching the powder house or Barton's
point, the meditated points of debarkation, and forced us
to attempt a landing at the common, on a flat sliore under
a low bank, enfiladed from Boston neck, and in the face of
at least forty pieces of field artillery, which would pro-
bably have destroyed us vvitliout tlie co-operation of small *
arms. The perilous circumstances of our situation about
that time, is well described by General Washington in his
letters of January, 1796. On the first day of that month,
the commander in chief addressed the President of Con-
gress in the following language : " It is not perhaps in the
jyower of hlstonj io furnish a case like ours — to maintain a
post within musket shot of the enemy, for six months toge-
ther, xvithont [pow(/er]; and at the same time to disband one
army and recruit another, within that distance, of trvcnty

12 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, odd British regiments, is more than prohabhf was ever at-
'■ tempted;^' and General Greene* writes his friend from
Prospect hil!, Jan. 4th, 1776, " Our situation has been cn-
tical; we have no part of the militia on this hill, and the
night after the old troops went off, I could not have muster-
ed 700 men, notwithstanding the returns of the new inlist-
ments amount to 1900 and upwards." *

That this account of our critical and distressful situa-
tion during the siege of Boston is not exaggerated, and
that we owed our safety to the supineness of Sir Williain
Howe, I will here introduce an authority above contro-
versy; because, if the standing of the writer did not sanc-
tion his reports, the natural style and unaffected nrtanner
in which he details obvious truths and painful apprehen-
sions, would carry conviction to the heart of incredulity
itself: at the same time, I take unfeigned pleasure in of-
fering this confidential communication of General Wash-
ington to the world, as a mirror in which the heart and
the head of the man are seen, without affectation and
without disguise : I with pride present it as a testimonial
of his discernment, his vigilance, his candour, magnani-
mity and patriotism, which speaks more for his great-
ness and his virtues, than volumes of servile adulation
or inflated panegyric, and must be received among the
brightest and most durable ornaments which can decorate
the history of our country. When we review the patience,
the perseverance, the equanimity the undeviating con-
sistency and inflexible resolution of this patriot, in pros-
perity and adversity, and compare him with the political
pigmies of the present day, « who solely intent to bless
themselves," clamber up the heights of ambition, regard-
less of the means, and look down with disdain on the au-
thors of their elevation, we may turn w ith shame and hii-
miliation from the disgusting contrast, and may well ex-
claim, « From what high hopes, to what relapse unlocked
for, have we fallen."

* See Gordon,

CHAP,
f.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 23

« Cambridge^ liith Jan, 1776.
«f Dear Sir,

« The bearer presents an opportunity to me, of ac-
knowledging the receipt of your favour of the 30th ulti-
mo,'(which never came to my hands till last night) and,
ff I have not done it before, of your other* of the 23d pre-
ceding.

" The hints you have communicated from time to time,
not only deserve but do most sincerely and cordially meet
with my thanks. You cannot render a more acceptable
service, nor in my estimation give me a more convincing
proof of your friendship, than by a free, open, and un-
disguised account of every matter relative to myself, or
conduct. I can bear to hear of imputed or real errors.
The man who wishes to stand well in the opinion of others,
must do this; because he is thereby enabled to correct
his faults, or remove the prejudices which are imbibed
against him. For this reason, I shall thank you for giv-
ing me the opinions of the world, upon such points as
you know me to be interested in; for, as I have but one
capital object in view, I could wish to make my conduct
coincide with the wishes of mankind, as far as I can con-
sistently ; I mean witliout departing from that great line
of duty which, though hid under a cloud for some time,
from a peculiarity of circumstances, may nevertheless
bear a scrutiny. My constant attention to the great and
perplexing objects which continually rise to my view,
absorbs all lesser considerations, and indeed scarcely al-
lows me to reflect, that there is such a body in existence
as the general court of this colony, but when I am re-
minded of it by a committee; nor can I upon recollec-
tion, discover in what instances (I wish they would be
more explicit) I have been inattt'ntive to, or slighted
them — they could not, surely, conceive that there was a
propriety in unbosoming the secrets of an army to them
— that it was necessary to ask their opinion of throwing
up an intrenchmcnt, forming a battalion, &c. ice; it

24) MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, must therefore be what I before hinted to you, and how
^" to remedy it I hardly know, as I am acquainted with few
of the members, never go out of my own lines, or see any
of them in them.

<« I am exceeding sorry to hear, that your little fleet
has been shut in by the frost. I hope it has sailed ere
tljis, and given you some proof of the utility of it, and
enabled the Congress to bestow a little more attention to
the affairs of tills army, which suffers exceedingly by
their over much business, or too little attention to it. We
are now without any money in our treasury — powder in our
magazines — arms in our stores. Wc are without a bri-
gadier (the want of which has been twenty times urged)
— engineers — expresses (though a committee has been
appointed these two months to establish thfem) — and by
and by, when we shall bo called upon to take the field,
shall not have a tent to lay in. — Apropos, what is doing
with mine ?

" These are evils but small in comparison of those which
disturb my present repose. Our inlistments are at a
stand ; the fears I ever entertained are realised ; that is,
the discontented officers (for I do not know how else to
account for it) have thrown such difficulties or stumbling
Tilocks in the way of recruiting, that I no longer enter-
tain a hope of completing the army by voluntary inlist-
ments, and I see no move or likelihoods to do it by other
means. In the two last weeks, we have inlisted but
about a thousand men, whereas I was confidently led to
believe, by all the officers I conversed with, that we
should by this time have had the regiments nearly com-
pleted. Our total number upon paper amounts to about
10,500 ; but as a large portion of these are returned not
joined, I never expect to receive them ; as an ineffisctual
order has once issued to call them in,* another is now
gone forth, peremptorily requiring all officers under pain
of being cashiered, and recruits as heing treated as de-
serters, to join their respective regiments by the first day
of next month, that I may know my real strength ; but if
my fears are not imaginary, I shall have a dreadful ac-

GENERAL AVILKINSON. t5

count of the advanced month's pay. In consequence of ciiAi».
the assurances given, and my expectation of having at ^'
least men enough inlisted to defend our lines, to which
may be added, my unwillingness to burthen the cause
with unnecessary expense, no relief of militia has been
ordered in, to supply the places of those who are released
from their engagements to-morrow, and on wliom (though
many have promised to continue out the month) there is
no security for their stay.

« Thus am I situated with respect to men: with regard
to arms I am yet worse off. Before the dissolution of the
old army, I issued an order directing three judicions
men of each brigade, to attend, review, and appraise the
good arms of every regiment; and finding a very great
unwillingness in the men to part with their arms, at the
same time not having it in my power to pay them for the
months of JSTovember and December, I threatened se-
verely, that every soldier who should carry away his fire-
lock without leave, should never receive pay for those
luontlis; yet so many have been carried off, partly by
stealth, but chiefly as condemned, that we have not at this
time one hundred guns in the stores, of all that have been
taken in the prize ship and from the soldiery, notwith-
standing our regiments are not half complete ; at th«
same time I am told, and believe it, that to restrain the
inlistment to men with arms, you will get but few of
the former, and still fewer of the latter, which would be
good for any thing. How to get furnished I know not.
I have applied to this and the neighbouring colonies, but
with what success time only can tell. The reflection on
my situation and that of this army, produces many an un-
happy hour when all around me are wrapped in sleep. Few
people know the predicament we are in, on a thousand
accounts; fewer still will believe if any disaster happens
to these lines, from what cause it flows. I have often
thought how much happier I should have been, if, instead
of accepting the command under such circumstances, I
had taken my musket on my shoulder and entered the
ranks, or, if I could have justified the measure to poste-
voi. L D

giS MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, rity and iiiy own conscience, had retired to the back coun-
^' try, and lived in a wigwam. If I shall be able to rise su-
perior to these, and many other difficulties which might
be enumerated, 1 shall most religiously believe, that the
fnger of Providence is in it, to blind the eyes of our ene-
mies; for surely if we get well through this month, it
must be for want of their knowing the disadvantages we
labour under.

« Could I have foreseen the difficulties which have
come upon us ; could I have known that such a back-
wardness would have been discovered among the old sol-
diers* to the service, all the generals upon earth should
not have convinced me of the propriety of delaying an
attack upon Boston till this time. AVhen it can now be
attempted, I will not undertake to say; but this much I
will answer for, that no opportunity can present itself
earlier than my wishes. But as this letter discloses some
interesting truths, I shall be somewhat uneasy until I
hear it gets to your hand^ although the conveyance is
thought safe.

« We made a successful attempt a few nights ago, upon
the houses near Bunker's hill. A party under Major
Knowlton, crossed upon the mill dam, (the night being
dark) and set fire to and burnt down eight out of four-
teen which were standing, and which we found they were
daily pulling down for fuel. Five soldiers, and the wife
of one of tiiem, inhabiting one of the houses, were
brought off" prisoners ; another soldier was killed : none
of ours hurt.

*« Having undoubted information of the embarkation of
troops (somewhere from three to five hundred,) at Bos-
ton, and being convinced they are designed either for
New York government (from whence we have some very
disagreeable accounts of the conduct of the tories) or Vir-
ginia, I despatched General Lee a few days ago, in order
to secure the city of New York from falling into their
Lands, as the consequences of such a blow might prove

* Jlilitia wlio liad ttiken arms the preceding spring and summer.

GENERAL WILKINSON. ^7

filial to our interests. He is also to enquire a little into CHAP,
ilic conduct of the Long Islanders, and such others as '*
have by their conduct and declarations, proved themselves
inimical to the common cause. To effect ttiese purposes,
he is to raise volunteers in Connecticut, and call upon the
troops of New Jersey, if not contrary to any order of
Congress.

<' By a ship just arrived at Portsmouth, New^ Hamp-
shire, we have London prints to the 2d of Nov. contain-
ing the addresses of parliament, which contain little more
than a repetition of the speech, with assurances of stand-
ing by his majesty with lives and fortunes. The captains
(for there were three or four of tliera passengers) say that
we have nothing to expect but the most vigorous exer-
tions of administration, who have a dead majority upon
all questions, although the Duke of Grafton and General
Conway, have joined the minority, as also the Bishop of
Peterborough. These captains affirm confidently, that
the five regiments from Ireland cannot any of them have
arrived at Halifax, inasmuch as that by a violent storm
on the 1 9th of October, the transports were forced, in a
very distressed condition, into Milford haven (Wales),
and were not in a condition to put to sea when they left
London, and the weather has been such since, as to pre-
vent heavy loaded sliips from niaking a passage by tlsis
time. One or two transports, they add, were thought to
be lost 5 but tht-se arrived some considerable time ago at
Boston, with three companies of the 17th regiment.

" Mr. S. Say re has been committed to the Tower, upon
the information of a ceitain Lieutenant or Adjutant Ri-
chardson (formerly of your city) for treasonable practices;
an intentio)! of seizing his majesty, and possessing him-
self of the Tower, it is said in the Crisis ; but is admitted
to bail himself in 500/. and two sunties in 250/. each, —
What are the conjectures of the wise ones with you, i»f
the French armament in the West Indies ? — But previous
to this, is there any certainty of such an ainiainent?
The captains, who are sensible men, heard nothing of

2§ MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, this when tlicy left England; nor docs tlicre appear any-
'■ apprehensions on this score in any of the measures of ^
speeches of administration. I should think the Congress
^ will not, ought not, to adjourn at this important crisis ;

— but it is highly necessary, when 1 am at the end of the
second sheet of paper, that I should adjourn my account
of matters to another letter. I shall therefore, in Mrs.
Washington's name, thank you for your good wishes to-
wards her, and with compliments added to mine, to Mrs.
Reed, &c. conclude.

" Dear Sir,

« Your sincere and affectionate servt."

This letter needs no comment ; it is a most honourable
testimonial of the entire confidence of General Washing-
ton, in his secretary Colonel Joseph Reed,* which could
not have been reposed in a more honourable man, a
more faithful friend, or a more zealous patriot ; it also
sustains the truth of the observation, that complaints and
nuirmurs had been excited against the commander at
Cambridge, which may be considered the germ of the
cahal, which was afterwards matured against him.

These, indeed, were times which tried men's
souiiS ; but they have passed away and are forgotten,
and the personal services and sufferings of tiiose days, no
longer appear to obtain that consideration in the eyes of
the rulers of the republic, which the blessings of liberty
and independence secured ought to inspire.
Conduct It is diiRcidt to account for Sir William Howe's ex-
ral Howe tremc caution, after he succeeded General Gage in com-
mand, as the situation was calculated to excite his
energies ; but whatever may have been the cause, whe-
ther motives of personal policy, or views to ulterior ope-
rations on a more favourable theatre, or the desire
to spare his troops, until he should receive rcinforce-

* Afterwards adjutant-g'eneral of the army, and subscfitiently go-
vernor of I'eiinsylvaiiia.

GENERAL AVILKIN60N. 29

mcnts, or wlictlier, which is most probable, he wait- chap.

pd for instructions from his government, his conduct ^J^,^^.
K operated favourably for the revolution : the free use of
• his artillery femiliarised our men to danger, and by

suffering himself to be shut up in the town of Boston,

he enabled General Washinffton to make a selection of and of

„ • 1 • J. General

oihcers, to levy a new army, to organize his corps, to washing-
assimilate, partially, their modes of duty and exercise, ton.
to cherish the confidence of his troops, and to infuse
among tlicm some sense of the (( esprit ihi corps.^^ Nor
did he imitate the example of his antagonist ; for, how-
ever puny his force, however circumscribed his means,
he omitted no enterprise calculated to straiten the quar-
ters of the enemy. To this end, and to keep up an im-
posing appearance, he successively occupied Plowed hill.
Cobble hill, Lechmore point, and Dorchester heights.
These encroachments brought into operation, several
heavy batteries of the enemy, lavishly and persevering-
ly served with shot and shells, which were, on our
part, languidly returned, from want of powder; but the
fire of the enemy produced good effects; the few lives
which were lost serving to prove its inefficacy, and in-
crease the hardihood of our militia. As a volunteer, I
accompanied those several operations, excepting the first;
and, at this day, can retrace in my own bosom the rapid
transition from apprehension to indifference.

The occupation of Dorchester heights enabled us to Occupan-
enfilade the enemy's works on Boston neck, laid open the chester^*^*
southern quarter of the town, exposed a part of the bar- heights,
hour, and therefore reduced him to the alternative of dis-
possessing us, or abandoning his position. We b^oke
ground on tliose heights in the night of the 4th of March,*
and as soon as we were discovered, the ^nciny made de- ^farrh 5.
monstratiuns of a design to dislodge us. A body of

• Preceding the anniversary of the massacre in 1770, when a Bos-
ton mob forced a guard to fire upon and kill several of tlicm, the ofli-
cer commanding the guard, Captain Preston, was tried and acquitted
by a jury of the counlry.

30 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, troops were embarked from Boston, and the transports,
* accompanied by a floating battery, fell down the bay to
the vicinity of the castle, with the apparent intention to
debark on the north eastern shore of the heights, which
decline in that direction, and terminate in a flat of som»
extent, projected within half a mile of Castle island.
The transports came to anchor, and boats put off from
them, evidently to search for landings, and examine as
closely as possible our position and the works we had
thrown up. From these circumstances, it has been my
nniform opinion, Sir William Howe in making the de-
tachment, obeyed a hasty impulse, without taking time
to weigh consequences ; and that on a more close exami-
nation of our works and numbers, his troops were wise-
ly recalled; because, if three thousand men had been cut
to pieces by fifteen hundred, in dislodging the provin-
cials from an unfinished, contracted redoubt at Breed's
hill, if would have required more than General Howe's
whole army to have driven us from a post thrice as difli-
cult of access, and defended by strong works and four-
fold numbers, better organised, better armed, better fit-
ted for action, and more judiciously disposed. The re-
turn and debarkation of the enemy at Boston the next
morning, evinced his abandonment of the meditated at-
tack, which has been in my judgment erroneously as-
cribed by our historians, to a gale which occurred in the
night, and deranged the order of his transports, driving
several of them on the shoals of Governor's island.

The enemy, now left without alternative, took imme-
diate measures for the evacuation of the town ; which
was no doubt accelerated by our breaking ground on
Nook's hill, a northern spur or projection of Dorchester
heights, almost within point blank shot of his works
on Boston neck, which it enfiladed, and also complete-
ly commanded the southern part of the town and har-
bour. Anticipating this movement. General Howe had
placed and pointed a heavy battery to prevent the en-
croachment, which was opened the moment our pick-

GENERAL WILKINSON. ^

axes were heard on the frozen earth, and produced ciiAi*.
the desired effect; for the cannonade was irresistible, '
and obliged tlie working party, after the loss of a few
men, to retire before the first range of gabions were fill-
ed ; but the enemy continued a furious cannonade the
whole night, and on looking at the ground a few days
after, I found it literally ploughed up, the shot making
trenches in the frozen earth which would have received
the body of a horse. I had the curiosity to examine this
battery, after we got possession of the town, and think it
consisted of nine 32 pounders, which were spiked and left
on their carriages without other injury.

Early in this month General Wasliington conferred on Mntch,
me my first commission of captain, in the regiment com- Ge'„^eVal
mandcd by Colonel James Read, of New Hampshire, wiikmsoa
bearing date September, 1775 ; but being attached to captain.
General Greene's family, I did not join it until I reach-
ed New York. On the morning of the 17th, the advanced Enemy
guards announced the retreat of the enemy from Bun- R^'Xrt,^
ker's hill, and soon after advice was received from Dor- JVUrch 17,
Chester, that his fleet was falling down to Nantasket
road.

On the confirmation of this intelligence from head
quarters, I accompanied Colonels Starke and Reed to
take a view of Bunker's hill, and the memorable theatre
of action on the 17th June, 1775, where the sword dis-
severed the ties of consanguinity, and cut asunder the so-
cial bonds which united the American colonies to the pa-
rent state.

Arrived on the field of battle, where those officers had
performed conspicuous parts, with anxious enquiry I
traced the general disposition of our yeomanry, on that
eventful day, and the particular station of each corps ; I
marked the vestiges of the post and roil fence on thp left,
and a stone wall, thrown up by ordor of Colonel Clark,
on the beach of Mystic river, which covered our arnicd
citizens. I paced the distance to the point, from whence
the British light infantry, after three successive gallant

33 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP charges, were finally repulsed. I examined the redoubt^
^- the retrenchment, the landings and approaches of the ene-
my, and every point of attack and defence. Resting on
tlie parapet where, nine months before, « valour's self
might have stood appalled," I surveyed the whole ground
at a glance, and eagerly devoured the information im-
parted by my veteran companions,* which differed essen-
tially from all the accounts I had then heard, or have
since read, and was conveyed to my understanding in a
manner so simple and so clear, as to realise the combat
to my imagination, and imprint the circumstances and
the scenery so deeply on my memory, that I have never
been at a loss, to delineate the ground or describe the
battle.

With a throbbing breast I stepped from this ground of
unequal conflict, where American fanners, contending
for the rights of nature, for their wives and children, and
posterity unborn, bared their bosoms to the bayonets of
veteran mercenaries j where victory so long balanced,
between native courage and disciplined bravery, between
freemen who contended for liberty, and the armed ruffian
who figlits for bread ; and following my leaders, we tra-
versed the ruins of Charlestown, lately the abode of
thousands animated by the buz of active industry and so-
cial happiness, now buried in its own ashes.
Visit to Arrived at the ferry stairs, we discovered a canoe on
Boston, shore, which we launched, and embarking in it, crossed
Cliarlcs's river to Boston ; and, on the presumption the
enemy had taken their departure, we marched directly
through the town, by a long narrow winding street, to
the fortifications on Roxbury neck, which had been skil-
fully designed and well executed : here I first saw the
little military engine called cal-trops, or crow-feet, which
the enemy had scattered over the street within his works.

• They had served during' the seven years' war in Rogers's Ran-
gers, on the frontiers of Canada, and Starke commanded a company
of provincialfi under General Wolfe.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 0^

It appeared that tlie cnomy had, very prnpcrly, forhid the chap.
inhabitants to leave their houses diiiint^ the cinbaikation, '
and from this cause or thoir ignorance of his movements,
or the timidity produced by Iheir lon;^ resi(h',nce with
him, and «he fear of reproat h from their countrymen,
the houses of the inhabitants continued shut up, and the
town presented a frightful solitude in the bosom of a nu-
merous population. After several friiiilcss application.'*
of our canes to ddors and windows, we gained aduiit-
tance into a house, where we were kindly treated by a
well known whig, whose circumstances compelled him to
abide with the enemy : I regret I should have forgotten
his name. This day was the Sabbath, and the most so-
lemn I had seen; a death-like silence pervaded an inha-
bited city, and spectacles of waste and spoil struck the
eye at almost every step.

On entering the town he had so long blockaded,* Gene- Heneral
ral Washington enjoyed his triumph and the merited ho- ^^'^^hmg'.

'i J J » ton enters

nours C(mferred on him by the voice of Massachusetts, Boston.
with characteristic <lignity and reserve ; and on a public
occasion in Boston, where I happened to be present, he
took occasion to express his satisfaction^ that the place
should have been taken without bloodshed; but in these
our enlightened days, a president of the United States has
been found to approve the wanton waste of human life,
for the "honour of the nation;" and torrents of the best
blood of the country have been prodigally expended, to
raise the reputation of a favourite — to conceal the w ant
of system in military operations — to mitigate the incom-
petency of the public councils — to wash out the stains of
moral turpitude, and give lustre to flagitious charactei's.

For the safety of New York, General Lee liad been or- jan. llitu
dercd to that city, and the rifle regiment and other corps

• General Washington took possession of the town on the 18lh,
and conferred the commund on General Greene. In those days it
was believed that bloodless victories were most honourable to the
victors, and that the first duty of a chief was to preserve his men : —
Such seemed to be the opmions of General Washington, who was a
great economist of human life.

VOL. I. E

York.

3^4 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, liad been detached to support lum: the commander itt
^' chief now put in motion for the same place, the maiH
body of his inlisted yeomanry, who were engaged to the
end of the year : I continued with General Greene in
Captain Boston, until the beginning of April, when we marched,
leaves"^"" and were overtaken by General \V'asirmgton at Provi-
Bostoii dcncc. Here we spent a few days, and proceeded from
General thcuce to Ncw London by Norwicli, where I embarked
Greene, ^^.j^j General Washington's guards, commanded by Cap-
tain Gibbs, and having narrowly escaped shipwreck, dur
Arrives I'ing a heavy gale in the sound, arj'lved at New York,
at New aftei- suffering extremely for the fust time, from tiiat
oppressive malady called sea sickness. Gcnei-al Wash-
ington had preceded us, and General Greene witii his
brigade arrived the 17tl).

Preferring the duties of the line, as the most profitable
school for a noviciate, to a staff appointment, T took com-
mand of my company on the 18th, when an incident occur-
red, the rccoJlection of which, at this distant day,causes me
ease of a twinge of sensible regret. My first lieutenant, Grover,
Lieiite- jjjjj enougii to be my father, had served with the provin-
Grover. ciats in 1758, and was a sergeant of the rangers under
Lord Howe, the day on which that gallant young noble-
man, yielding to the impetuosity of his spirit, threw^ away
his life in pursuit of a party of flying Canadians.* This

* Lord Howe was second to General Abercromby on the unfortu-
nate expedition against Ticonderotja, in 1758, and was considered the
life and soul of the service. Commanding the elite, which consisted
of tlie light infantry and provincial rangers, he preceded the army,
and landed at the foot of Lake George, where he found the advanced
post of the enemy. A loose skirmish ensued, and the French mad^
a rapid retreat, hard pressed by his lordship, over a broken and rug-
ged surface, covered with a tliick forest intermingltd witli hemlock.
Being well acquainted with the country, the Cain.idians retreated by
a ford of the strait which connects lakes George and Champlain, at
the foot of the first cataract, and having gained the opposite bank,
they turned about and delivered a random fire at their pursuers, by
which Lord Howe was killed (August 6, 1758) about one and an half
miles from the place where he landed. I received this inforination
the 22d of April, 1814, from Judge Kellog, a most respectable old
gentleman, who now resides on the very tract over which Lord HowiS

•

GENERAL WILKINSON. 95

"Uetcran lieutenant had distinguished himself in the batth-: chap.

<jf llre^d's hill^ lie ha«l h;vied the company and command-
ed it; but liis want of education was corjsidei'cd a bar in
his jjromotion, and the < ommission was conferred on nic
by the commander in chief. Nevertheless, poor (Jrover's
j)retension.« were strong, and my sense of justice pleaded
in his behalf. I thought then, and I titink still, tliat mili-
tary rank should be iield as sacred as the vestal fire, and
that the onicer who voluntarily yields his just claim to pro-
motion, except in cases of reward for very extraordinary
service, gives the strongest proofs of his uJiworthincss to
wear a sword. If improper characters be introduced into
tlie service, it is tiie fault of the executive, because he has
an opportunity for examination prior to appointment; but
he c rtaitdy has 710 right to distinguish a citizen^ that h&
may disgrace him; yet, *< forgetting rights and consulting
poxveTf'" President Madison has sanctioned the tyranny
and the cruelty, of dismissing and dishonouring military
officers of his own appointment^ on secret informations,
without a charge and without a hearing. But in the case
before us, my own judgment was silenced by that of the
commander in chief, announced in general orckrs, which
1 was bound to obey.

The regiment was ordered for muster, the day I en-
tered on duty ; tlie company was paraded, and I present-
ed myself to take the command ; but when I gave the
order to shoulder firelocks, the men remained motionless,
and the lieutenant, stepping up to me, enquired where I
was going to march the men. I answered that he should
presently see, but, in the mean time, he must consider
liimself in arrest for mutiny, and «« march to his room,'*
which he did without hesitation.* 1 then addressed my-

pursued the Canadians. The Judge's father belonijed to the provin-
cial service at the time, and gave this account of the afTair to his son.
I examined the ground at the period mentioned, and discovered ves-
tiges of the chimnies of the French barracks, on a small elevation
near the landing at the head of the strait, where Lord Howe and the
British army debarked.

• This incident is noticed by General Washington, in his letters of
the 5th and lllh of May, 1776, to the President of Congress. It-aiV

I

36 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, self to the company; pointed out to them my right of
' command, and the necessity for their obedience; I inform-
ed them til at I should repeat tlie order, and if it was not
instantly obeyed, I should run the man nearest to me
through the body, and would proceed on from right to
left, so long as they continued refractory and my strength
would support me. I had no further trouble, but joined
the regimojit, and marched to the parade of general mus-
tei', in front of the present City Hatty and facing the souths
the ground in our rear being then unoccupied by build-
ings.

A comparative view of the weight and influence of the
city and state of New York, in 1776, with their magni-
tude and importance in 1816, will furnish a fair criterion
by which we may estimate, the wonderful population and
improvement of our country, in the short period of forty
years; and the observation must be my apology, for in-
viting my readers, in this place, to examine attentively
the rapid aggrandisement of the national family — to re-
flect serioJisly on the causes which produced independence,
universal toleration, security of persons, and sef govern-
ment to the Britisli colonies — and to meditate profoundly
upon the means indispensable to the perpetuation of tlie
rich inheritance.

To preserve to confederated America the inestimable
blessings, which have ceased to exist elsewhere, the citi-
zens of the United States are bound by the most solemn
obligations of gratitude and of duty ; of gratitude to their
ancestors, from whom they received them, and of duty to
their posterity, to whom they stand pledged to transmit
them. But how is that equal liberty to be preserved in
this country, which has been lost in every other ? The
task is a difficult one, but it is by no means impracti-
cable. A frequent recurrence to, and a determined sup-
port of, the principles of the revolution, will secure the

pears Grover was tried, :inJ that the General disapproved the sen-
teiice oftiie court, hut finally excused him after he had made written
acknowkdi^meiits; he, however, never joined the company while J
commanded it.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 37

virtuoiig administration of the government, and that alone ciiAf*.
can resist the principle of corruption, inherent in all tern- '•
porai institutions. Among tite eternal enemies of equal
rights and free governments, we find the lusts of power
and wealth the most prominent j which, in their very na-
ture, tend to aristocracy, and terminate in monarchy or
despotism. The administration of the public power and
the influence of wealth cannot, therefore, be too sedu-
lously watched, nor too cautiously guarded against. At
this early period they have made their appearance in our
political horizon, and are visible, in the universal pas-
sion f(»r office; in the almost universal silence of tlie pub-
lic prints on the measures of the majority; in executive
encroachments, and the acquiescence of the correlative
branches of the government; in the vile barter of the exe-
cutive patronage for popular support ; in official arro-
gance, and the lofty assumption of the servants of the
people ; in the conversion of the daily pay of the members
of the legislature into fixed salaries, at an enormous in-
crease, without the consent of the people; in the attempt
to increase the salaries of the public officers, at a time
when the avidity for office is without example, and the
nation is burthened with debt; in the unnecessary and
pernicious extension of the foreign relations of the coun-
try, contrary to the admonition of the greatest man who
has lived in it ; in the unnecessary and dangerous in-
crease of the standing army in time of universal peace;
in doctrines and measures calculated to foster a domi-
nant military spirit in these states, to debauch the rising
generation from the solid pursuits of civil life, and in-
sensibly to raise a superstructure of profligate pagean-
try and idleness, on the ruins of industry, simplicity of
manners, and the social virtues; in the inculcation of the
humiliating, anti-republican, destructive sentiment, that
the safety of these sequestered states, three thousand miles
removed from any power competent to injure them, must
depend on fleets and armies, and not on the intrinsic
strength and resources of the country, which have been
and must continue to be the bulwark of the nation, so hna;

Memoirs by

April 2J.

Ordered
far Ca-
nada.

Apnl 29.

as its present form of government is preserved; in the
frequent violations of the constitution by the executive
magistrate, even to the sanction of murder; and above
all, in the usurpation of the legislative body, to appoint the
executive, without the consent of the people.

These are not false alarms, nor the clamours of dis-
content; they are the offspring of a bosom alive to the
cause of representative government, virtuously adminis^
tcred, and are founded on the observation of an humble
individual, content with his humility, and superior to offi-
cial dependence ; they are the infallible symptoms of a
political malady, which if not checked by some season-
able corrective, will soon infect the whole sj^stem, and
then it must inevitably follow, that the government, in-
stituted by society for its own use, will be converted into
the property of those who may be intrusted with its ad^
ministration. To prevent these menacing evils; to ex-
tract the poisons which have been insidiously infused into
the body politic, and to cleanse and cure the ulcers of
state, the people must arouse from that lethargy and cold
indifference, which forms the last vice of political society^
they must interpose their natural and indefeasible prero-
gatives; they must think and act from themselves, and
for themselves; and correct the public abuses, by remov-
ing from their confidence and the public councils, the au-
thors of those abuses and their coadjutors. 1 submit
these reflections to the reader, with great deference, but
with the most upright intention, and zealous regard for
the civil institutions of our common country, and will re-
sume ti»e thread of my narrative.

Four regiments had been ordered to reinforce the army
in Canada, and sailed for Albany, under Brigadier-gene-
ral Thompson. The activity employed on the fortifica-
tions of New York, produced such a pressure of duty,
that I was alternately on guard and fatigue, day about,
until the 26th of April, when my regiment, with those of
Starke from New Hampshire, Wayne's and Irvine's
from Pennsylvania, and Winde's and Dayton's from New-
Jersey, were put under marching orders for Canada, sub-

GENERAL WILKINSON. 89

jcrt to the command of Brigadier- general Sullivan. I
sailed from New Yoik with my company, and the corps
rendezvoused at Albany, where they were reviewed by ^ \
Major-general Sehuyler, and I marched two days after for Arrives at
Fort William Henry, at the south end of Lake George, '""'■
and arrived there the 15th. At this post I found General
Schuylei- in command, and met the late Bishop Carroll on
liis return from Canada, from whom I received such un-
favourable accounts of the situation of affairs, as made it
necessary to accelerate my march. I embarked in two
large batteaux with my company, and a quantity of pro-
vision the 17th, and reached the foot of Lake George the
next evening. Early the following morning, I marched Marclie*
across the portage, two and a half miles, to Ticondero- barks at
ga, where other boats loaded witli provisions were fur- i-»kc
nished me, and having shipped a Canadian, who carried ''-'
the mail between Montreal and Albany, for my pilot, I
sailed to Crown point, where I encamped for the night.
Early on tiic 20th, I got under way with a favourable
breeze, and belield the mountain tops, which bordered the
lake, covered with snow ; the wind freshened until it blew
a gale, which caught us mid-lake, opposite to the present
site of Burlington, and would have drowned us all, but
for the skill and conduct of my pilot, who by means of
the small blanket-sails we had rigged, kept the leading
boat before the wind, and running close in with the north
point of Valcour island, by a sudden turn of the helm,
brought us under its lee, and extricated us from the
swell of the sea, which threatened with every wave to
fill our batteaux. Here I was wind bound the 2ist. Sail-
ed at day-light the 22d, with a favourable breeze, and
reached St. John's about 4 o'clock. At this place I met lieaches^
a Mr. Price, a merchant of Montreal, who had distin-
guished himself for his attachment to the American cause,
and his services to Gen. Montgomery. From this gentle-
man, I learned the misfortune w hich had taken place at the
Cedars, on the Cataraque; that the main army was encamp-
ed at the mouth of the Sorel, and Brig. Gen. Arnold with
a handful of men hnd advanced to La Chine, a short drs-

40 MEMOIRS BV

CHAP, tance above Montrpal, to cover that city. On the mafch
^ route from Albany I made the third company, being pre-
ceded by Captains Oliver and Spalding, who, in descend-
ing Lake Champlain, hugged the eastern shore, and ran
into Missisqui bay, which caused rae to anticipate them
at St. John's. I found this post without garrison op
commandant, but infested by numbers of stragglers frctra
the army, who could give no satisfactory account of them-
selves. Being myself without orders, wriiti*n or verbal,
beyond that place, I yielded to the general impulse of ray
" breast, and determined to reinforce the weakest points
Accordingly, having taken under my command every man
who acknowledged himself to be a soldier, I man heu for
La Prairie, upwards of one hundr< d strsiig, our compa-
ny establishment being at that time 86 non-commissioned
officers and privates. On entering the wood which skirt-
ed the open ground around St. John's, I was assailed by
swarms of musquito^s, more numerous than I have ever
beheld on the hanks of the Mississippi; hut they disap-
peared as soon as we traversed the forest and entered the
plains, wliich was a short distance. I found quarters in
a Canadian barn, about three leagues from St. John's j
and at a similar distance the next morning I reached La
Prairie, from whence I had a charming prospect of the
rapids of the St. Lawrence, the island of St. Helena, the
* city of Montreal and its mountains, which form a pictu-

resque back ground, and furnish a pleasing rest to the
eye; the " tout ensemble'^ presents one of the finest land-
scapes in the interior of North America. The village of
La Prairie consisted of half a dozen humble wooden
houses, and a church. V did not understand a word of
the French language, nor could one of the inhabitants
speak English : I learned however, by signs and gestures,
that the place I sought was above me: I therefore march-
* cd up the right bank of the river, crossed a creek which I
now know to be <' La Tortiie,*' traversed a wood about a
mile in depth, and ascending a gentle acclivity, from its
summit perceived an Indian village near me. This was
inhabited by the Cachnawaga tribe of the Iroquois, who

GENERAL WLKINSON. ^i

acknowledged Colonel Louis* for tlicir diicf, and were chap.
much attached to the Bostouians, the name hy which all '
the British colonists were known among the Canadians.

An interpreter met me as 1 entered the village, and
pointed to La Chine directly opposite. I spokr to the
chiefs; made an arrangement for ferrying my men after
me ; embarked in a birch canoe, the first I had seen, and,
though the river was a mile wide, in ten minutes after
presented myself to General Arnold, to whom I was a
stranger. My small reinforcement was opportune and "^^y ?2,
unexpected, as I found the Greneral busily engaged with .(.juis Ap-
about 250 men, in retrenching a spacious stone magazine "^'^ ^*
to resist Major Foster of the British service, who had
reduced our garrison of 390 men posted at the Cedars,
on the Cataraque, had made prisoners of Major Sher-
burne and a detachment of 100 men who were marching
to reinforce the garrison, atul was now advancing with a
force composed of 40 men of the 8th regiment of British
infantry, 100 Canadians, and 500 Indians, which he had
incorporated at Oswegatchie.

La Chine is the name of the landing place at the head
of those rapids of the St. Lawrence, which terminate op-
posite Montreal, from whence it is about three leagues
distant. At this place the batteaux of the lakes, and the
birch canoes for Grand, or Ottawa river, receive their
loads, and take their departure for their respective
voyages.

The day after my arrival, two of my men, who had
walked up the shore, in quest of milk, were made pri-
soners and hurried off by an Indian scout; but in ascend-

* This chief, the issue of & negro and a squaw, had been with the
Count de Villiers, in 1754, at the capture of Colonel Washington and
his little garrison at Fort Necessity. On the commenceraeni of ihe
revolution, Louis repaired to General Washington, at Cambridge, lo
whom he was personally known, was employed, with the commission
of a colonel, and proved faithful to the American cause. He had re-
moved from Cachnawaga to St. Retjis, and on my arrival at the
French Mills, in 1813, called on me ; he was then bent and withered
with age, and I understand is since dead.

VOL. I. F

4^ MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, ing a hill, one of tlieni slackening liis pace, fell in the rear,

wheeled suddenly, and spranj? off in retreat; the savages
Jialtod, turned about, fired and wounded him terribly in a
tender part ; yet he made his escape, and warned us of
the approach of the enemy, which was confirmed about
sunset by Foster's drum.

General Arnold, at this time, was on a visit to Cachna-
waga, but his place was well supplied by a Colonel Brown,
(the same who reduced Chamblee, and was afterwards
killed near Johnstown) and a Colonel Williams, both of
whom had served with General Montgoipery before
Quebec.

We turned out, and stood by our arms until ten o'clock;
when perceiving no movement of the enemy, the guards
were doubled, and we retired to our quarters. Our situa-
tion was so critical, that it excited my utmost vigilance;
and I employed myself in meditating on the best means
of defence, while my comrades were carousing on the
best cheer they could find. The hour of repose having
arrived, I resisted tlie importunities of my companions to
lay down, alleging that we might be surprised when asleep,
and therefore whilst others slept I watched, and occupied
myself in writing to my friend General Greene, with
whom I supported a correspondence to the close of th^
war.

This letter was written just at the close of my nine-
teenth year, and is marked by its juvenility of style; yet
it but too faithfully pourtrayed the deplorable situation of
the army in Canada, and was the precursor of the mis-
fortunes which awaited it; it is a testimonial of my inti-
macy with General Greene, and is recorded with a letter
from Genf.ral Washington to the President of Congress,
which furnishes evidence of the consideration in which I
was held by our illustrious commander, at that tender
age ; for these reasons I trust I shall be excused for
submitting those documents to the reader in this place.

GENEUAL WILKINSON. 43

EiJciract of a Letter from General Washington to the Presi-
dent of Congress, dated Mxv Fork, June ±7th, 1776.

« I am much oonccrned for the situation of our affairs
i\\ Canada, and am fearful ere this it is muc h worse than
was first reported at Philadclpiiia. The irttelligence
from thence, in a letter from Captain AVilkiiison of the
2d ret^iment, to General Greene, is truly ahirrning; it
not only confirms tlie account of Colonel Bedel's, and Ma-'
jor Sherburne's defeat, hut seems to forbode General Ar-
nold's, with the loss of Montreal. 1 have ein losed a copy
of the letter, which will but loo well shew that there is
foundation for my apprehensions."

Captain Wimcinson to General Greene-.

[Inclosed to the President of Congress.]

« La Chine, May lAlh, 1776, 12 o'clock at night,
about 12 miles from Montrcat.
« My Dear Sir,

« We are now in a sweet situation. A part of the gar-
rison at Detroit, in conjunction with Indians and Cana-
dians, to the amount of 1000 men, have made themselves
masters of Colonel Bedel's regiment, who were stationed
about nine miles from this place, among the cedars, and
have cut off our friend Major Sherburne,* with 140 men,
who were detached to relieve the rcginjcnt, wiiich defend-
ed itself in a little fort. The Major, with that courage
which marked his character, pushed his way, after an
engagement of four hours, into the fort, and was obliged
to yield for want of ammunition and provisions; since
which time General Arnold, with a handful of men, have
been throwing up a breastwork here, in order to stop the
enemy's progress, and had indeed n^editated a p];'.n of
attacking them; but, alas! so astonisJiingly are matters
<^onductcd in this quarter, that notwithstanding the G«-
neral's nmst pressing solicitations, and the length of

" §iuce Ceneral Sherburne, of Newport, Khode Islartd'.

44 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, time since lie took possession of this post, we cannot now
'■ muster moic than 350 men, whilst tlie proximity and
movements of the enemy, assure us that we shall be at-
tacked vvitliin six hours. Their drums were heard this
evening at our camp, and a man of mine was shot
through the thigh, within half a mile of it, by an Indian,
who took off a prisoner. 33ut the morning dawns — that
morn, big with the fate of a few, a handful of brave fel-
lows. I shall do my part — but remember, if I fall, I am
sacrificed. May God bless you equal to your merits.—^
Vale !

(Signed) -. JA. WILKINSON."*

In less than twenty days after writing this letter to
General Greene, I was made the instrument of saving
Arnold and t!ie gairison of Montreal, from the grasp of
Sir Guy Caileton.

The advance of Foster, left no doubt of his intention
to attack us the ensuing morning; and we were all at a
loss for the cause of liis doclining the attack, until tht
May 25. appearance of Colonel De Haas, about 8 o'clock in the
forenoon with a detachment of about 500 Pennsylvanian
Foster re- infantry and riliemen. Foster, in the course of the night,
irpm--^"' had received advice from his spies of the approach of
sued. this reinforcement, which caused him to retreat with pre-
cipitation. Arnold pursued him the same day; my com-
pany formed the advanced guard, and Colonel Brown
volunteered by my s,ide. We readied Fort Ann, at tlie
liead of Montreal island, the next day about 3 o'clock^
just as Foster's rear had lande^ on the opposite shore,
and our main body got up about 4 o'clock ; but the bat-
teaux, with our baggage, stores, and provisions, being
obstructed by a strong current between Montreal and
Pcrault islands, did not arrive until 5 o'clock.
Arnold Ordci's immediately issued to discharge the loads, and

Fo'i-r^ ^^ embark the troops, which were executed with zeal and
Sj, Ann, promptitude, but without regularity or arrangement. The

* The inrormatlon contained in this letter rcspcclinij the affair (^
the Cedars was, of course, founded on rumour.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 4a

whole embarked in disorder, and followed Arnold, in ciiAP.
crowded batteaux, loa led to the gunwale, who directed '•
his course to the opposite shore, in a light birch canoe ^^ j ^^
paddled by four Iroquois Indians. barks ihe

The current was strong, and the river more than a ^^"^t the
mile wide. Two of our captives discovered themselves cuemy
in an inundated thicket, and wcie taken off by the Gene-
ral, at every hazard of decoy and ambuscade. We were
immediately after ordered to fall down about half a
league, and land in an extensive bay, formed by a bend
in the right bank of the river.

The sun was setting, the sky unclouded, the atmos-
phere serene, the surface on which we floated as smooth
as a mirror, and the spire of the church of Quinze Chenes,
together with the white Canadian houses ranged along
the coast, diversified the prospect most agreeably. But
this charming tranquil scene was speedily converted into
one more animated. As we approached the shore, we
perceived the detachment of British troops employed on
the beach, and the Indians ranging themselves on the
bank. At half cannon shot, Foster opened a battery of
two four pounders upon us, which he had taken at the
Cedars, and the savages began to yell and fire from one
extremity of their line to the other. Our distance was
too great for any effect from small arms j but we were
eminently exposed to the artillery, every shot plunging
beneath or passing over us, and the slightest touch of our
fragile craft, w ould have sent a crew to the bottom, as we
were too deeply laden to furnish the smallest relief to
«ach other. *

The moment the cannonade commenced, we were or-
dered to rest on our oars ; the fire of the enemy was de-
liberate, and the current constantly changing our posi-
tion, soon drifted us beyond the range of his shot. Ar-
nold in the meanwhile darted about in his canoe, without
apparent object or end, and finally gave orders for re-
ascending the river to Fort St. Ann, where we relandcd
about 8 o'clock, P. M. A council of war was immediate- Council
ly convened to riiclude captains, and Vrnold desired mo <** war.

46 MEMOIRS Bt

CHAP, to record the proceedings. He proposed to flie coufictly
" that we should ascend the Grand river a few miles, under
cover qf the nighty gain the rear of the enemij, and fall on
them at day -break. He asserted the feasibility of the enter-
prise, and urged it for the deliverance of the captives taken
at the Cedars,*' who, we understood, were confined in the
parish church of Quinze Chenes, under a guard of sa-
vages. Colonel Hazen was opposed to this enterprise,
*\from his long acquaintance with the Indian character : he
was satisfied their vigilaihce would prevent surprise, and
that the moment of attack would be the signal for the mas-
sacre of their prisoners.''* Colonel De Haas inclined to
tlie same opinion. Captains Josiah Hariner, William
Butler, iTiysclf, and some others, were not convinced hy
the arguments of the colonels ; hut contended, that " the
prisoners themselves, nobly despising personal danger, would
solicit the attack, at the peril of their lives; since it must
eventuate in the defeat of the hord of savages, and the cap-
ture of Foster's party of regular troops." After much de-
bate, we were out-voted, and Ai'iiold, although highly
irritated, did not on his own authority think proper to
enforce his proposition.

The council broke up about midnight, in discontent
and disgust; some reproachful language having passed
between Arnold and Hazen. A short time after, the offi-
cer of the day announced a parley, from a boat on the
river: it was answered, and the flag permitted to land,
and LieutcantBird of the 8th British regiment, was pre-
sented to the General by Major Sherbune, who had been
captured on his march to reinforce the post at the Ce-
<;(;nvcn. dars. A conference ensued, in whicli it appeared tliat
tlie ene-* Sherburne and the senior officers, captured by Foster,
»ny. had been prevailed on the day before to enter into a

convention witlj him, which Arnold, with some modift-
cation, confrrmcd.

By this eonvcation of Arnold the government was
pledged to exchange the prisoners, and Captain Sulli-
van, with tliree other officers, were left as hostages for
the performance- But (he Congress, after due del'ibcra-

GENERAL WILKINSON. 47

tion, determined the agrecinont to be an uiiatliorised act cilAP.
on the part of Arnold : yet they agreed to ratify it, thoiijj^h '
under sucli stipulations as defeated the eflTect, and the hos-
tages were afterwards liberated) and sent home by Sir
Guy Carleton.

Here we have a strong testimony of the indecision of
Arnold, who had the enemy completely in liis power, be-
fore the arrival of the flag, and much more so after-
wards ; but he felt an attraction towards Montreal, at
the moment, which damped his military ardour.

Having the next day visited Foster, and settled with May 27.
him the subordinate arrangements incident to the conven-
tion, Arnold set out for Montreal the following morning,
leaving the command in Colonel De Haas. On the 30th Order to
of May, the Colonel received a peremptory order, to j)" ^^^g
cross the lake of the Two Mountains,* and destroy a disobeyed,
village of the Iroquois, called Canasadago, six or eight
miles from our encampment. The youth of the detach-
ment exulted in these orders ; but De Haas deliberated
on the execution, and to get rid of them resorted to a
council of war, which, (in spite of the opposition of a
few determined spirits) concluded to reject them, and
he fell back to La Chine.

I had the mortification, by order of De Haas, to be the Arnold's
bearer of the proceedings of this council to General Ar- conduct
nold, which I deliveiHid to him in Montreal, the same
evening, after a fatiguing ride through a deluge of rain.
On perusing the despatch, Arnold expressed great in-
dignation ; reproached the whole detachment as well as
the Colonel, and concluded by observing, tliat *> none
hut cowards would hesitate to obey a positive order/'
Piqued at this illiberality and rudeness, I observed to
him, *i Sir, you censure the detachment unjustly ; several
of the officers were 'zealous for the enteiyrise, and the Co-
lonel alone is responsible.'* This observation seemed to
affect the General j he paused, and after some time ask-

• A circular expansion of Grand river at the head of Montreal
Island, not exceeding four piiles in tlie broadest part.

returns to
Montreal

^ MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, ed me to sup, which I declined, although T had not broke
' fast that day, and retired to a wretched tavern, where I
was obliged to lie down in my wet clothes.

De Haas Early tlie next morning, I received verbal orders to
join my company, wliich I met at La Chine, with De
Haas, and the whole detachment. From thence we
marched into Montreal, and as soon as the troops \ver&
dismissed, I received a request from General Arnold, to
join him as his aid-de-camp, to which 1 assented, being
flattered by the preferenre of an officer, who had at that
period acquired great celebrity.

Captain A few days after I entered his family, the General put

Wi kinson ^^^^^ liands Sundry invoices of stores and merchan-

reiuses •' •'

Gen. ral dises, belonging to the inhabitants of the town, which he
orde°f for <l'i'ected me to demand and receive from the several pro-
plunder- pi'ietors, and to give orders on him for iiaynnrnt at the
merchants ^'^^^t of the invoices; but in case the owners should re-.
of Mo!v- fuse the delivery, tlien the goods were to be seized, j)ack-
ed up by a guard which attended me, and conveyed to
head quarters. As well as I recollect, I first called on a

Mrs. M'C d, whose husband was in (Quebec, for a

quarter cask of Madeii'a wine, who gave rae such a
Xantippiad, as cut short our interview and saved her
wine. I then proceeded to the house of a merchant of
respectability, I believe a Mr. Forsytli, or a Mr. Leith ;
his invoice was presented to him, and acknowledged to
be correct; but to my demand for the delivery of the
goods, he replied, " These are the goods. Sir; they are in
your power ; I cannot deliver them hit in my own wrong ;
you must know that your troops are about to quit this pro-
vince (which, by the bye, I did not), and what cdhild I do
with your paper money ; it would be mere chaff, and I
should, by the delivery, forfeit my claim on the crown for
indemnity. Your own breast must determine whether it be
just, under such circumstances, to take a man's property
from him."

These observations struck forcibly upon my mind ; I
made some rapid reflections on the obligations of my
profession, the limits of obedience, and the nature of

GENERAL WIUilNSON, #

tine service on vvliich I was ordered, against which my CHAP.
understanding and I'eelings revolted ; I, thercibre, pock- ''
ottyd tlie invoice, marched back the guard to head qiiar-
tei's, and requested tlie General to excuse me from the
execution of an order, which « appeared to bt rather mer-
cantile than miiitary" Jle admitted my excuse, hut ob-
served, that I was *« more nice than wise j" and oi-dcred
me to Jiuld myself in readiness to descend the river to
the head quarters of tlie army at Sor<I; pursuant to
which, 1 embarked about iioon, on board a twelve-oared
batteau, with despatches for General Sullivan. The wind
was strong a-head, which caused a considerable swell
in the river, and retarded my progress. I had passed
Boucherville, and was approaching Varenne, on the
right bank of the St. Lawrence, fourteen miles below
Montreal, when I heard the report of a cannon, at ne
great distance in my front, the smoke of whicli v as con-
cealed from me, by the point of land on which Varenne
stands, my boat being close in witii the right shore to
avoid the force of the wind. I ordei'cd my men to rest
on their oars, and was pausing to discover the occasioa
«f this shot, when a second report, at a greater distance,
announced a military movement, and solved my difiicul-
ties. I immediately ran my batteaux ashore, hauled her
up, left every thing standing, ordered my party under
arms, and marched to the main road. It still remained Meets Sir
to be ascertained what movement it was (for 1 really p">^'\''*^'

^ '' ton and.

had little suspicion of an enemy), and therefore I march- the Bri-
ed forward until within 200 yards of the head of the vil- l''vf "^
lage, when a platoon of the enemy turned the corner of renner
the street and fired ; for what cause, unless as a signal,
I have never been able to devise; as it could hardly have
been at my small party, which, if the enemy had not shewn
themselves, would in five minutes have been their pri-
soners ; but, being now satisfied the enemy had actually j
arrived within fourteen miles of Montreal, without Ge-
neral Arnold*s knowledge, my solicitude was awakened
for his safety, and that of the corps he commanded. I in-
clined to the right; leaped a fencc^ and under shelter of

VOT>. h G

6$ MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, a copse of wood, retreated as fast as my men could run.
keeping the wood between me and the enemy.

The city of Montreal is situate on the left bank of the
St. Lawrence, where it is a mile wide, at the head of ship
navigation and at the foot of a shoal rapid, with the beau-
tiful little island of St. Helena in its front, which by
compressing the stream increases its velocity. Three
Iiours had scarcely elapsed since 1 had left the place in
perfect security, one third of the garrison down with the
small-pox, and )io American dreaming of the approach of
an enemy. What then must have been the feelings of
a young soldier, at this unexpected rencontre of the
British army on the opposite bank of the river, at a mo-
ment when he believed General Sullivan still occupied his
position at the mouth of Soi*el, fifteen or twenty leagues
below ? I realise at this moment my emotions; but all my
exertions would have been uviavailing, if the wind had
not failed at that critical moment, and obliged the British
fleet to cast anchor ; or, if General Carleton had not halt-
ed, when by an easy march of four hours over a smooth
road, on the margin of the river, five hun<lred men and a
single field piece, could have intercepted Arnold, with a
garrison of twelve or fifteen hundred, who, being cut off
from succour or retreat, must have surrendered at dis-
cretion.

To favour the escape of General Arnold with his gar-
rison, it was necessary he should receive the earliest in-
formation of the near approach of the enemy. I there-
fore continued my pace without halt, and leaving the party
in cliarge of my sergeant, mounted a horse barebacked,
which 1 discovered at the door of a wind-mill, and rode
full speed three leagues to Longuille, where I found the
inhabitants apprised of the advance of the enemy, and
almost in a state of hostility. At the point of my sword,
I extorted a paddle, and compelled a Canadian to assist
me in launching a canoe from the beach, into which I
Jumped, and with much labour gained the opposite shore,
half a league below the town, and about six o'clock 1
cached Arnold's quarters* He was exceedingly sur-

GENERAL AVILKINSON. 01

prised at my report, having just received advice of Ge- CHAP.

ncral Sullivan's retreat from Sorel, and was making pie-

parations to cross the St. Lawrence, but did not contem- Wans

plate tliis movement before the next morning, which -^'""'<' of
III I X 1 , hisilanjjcr.

would have been t0(» late.

Every means was now put in operation to effect the
passage of tJJC river in the course of the night; and I
was ordered immediately to recross it, and traverse the
country by the direct route to Cliamblee, twelve miles, Ordered
to report to General Sullivan the situation in which I had bl^e.
discovered the enemy, and request a detachment to cover
General Arnold's retreat by La Prairie. To expedite
this service, I was advised to cross the river above tiie
island of St. Helena; but found the passage so much ob-
structed by rucks, shoals and rapids, tliat I did not make
the opposite shore and reach LonguUle until it was dark. »
I found a public horse at the parish priest's, mounted
him, and arrived at Chamblee about nine o'clock at
night.

The sceiie here presented to me can never he effaced.
The front of our retreating army, overwhelmed with
fatigue, lay scattered in disorder over the plain, and
buried in sleep, w ithout a single sentinel to watch for its
safety. I rode through the encampment, entered the fort
by the drawbridge, dismounted, and presented myself to
General Sullivan, in his quarters, without being halted
or even hailed. Notwithstanding the dissimilitude of the
occasion, the prostrate unprotected situation in which I
found our camp, recalled to my memory Virgil's truly
affecting episode of Nisus and Euryalus. The General,
and his companions. Colonels St. Clair, Maxwell, and
Hazen, all appeared astonished at my information of the
near approach of the enemy to Montreal. Maxwell in
the Scottish dialect exclaimed, « Be the Larrf, it cannot be
possible ;" to which I emphatically retorted, " Be the
LanU Sir, you knorv not what you say.'* Sullivan and
St. Clair, who were both acquainted with me, interposed
and corrected Maxwell's indecorum. It was ackijow-
Jedged on all hands, that a detachment was necessary to

5^ MEMOIRS BY

CHA.P. co-o])Pratp with Arnold; but how to effect it, under the
actual circumstances of tlie moment, "Avas a matter of
much difficulty : the ni!2;ht was profoundly dark; the rain
ponred down in torrents ; the troops at hand were fa-
tigued, and in great disorder; and there was no officer
to receive or execute orders. After some deliberation it
Is des- was determined, that I sitoidd proceed down the Sore!,
wth in. with instructions to Brigudier-general the Baron de
structions Woedtke, who commanded tiie rear, to make a detach-
Baron de ment of 500 men, to cover General Arnold^s i-etrcat.
■\\oedike. «j^j,g exercises of the day had prepared me rather for re-
pose, and 1 was a stranger to the route ; yet I received
the order witli cheerfulness. I was directed to keep the
main road on the bank of the Sorel, which Colonel Uazen
informed me, was qiute plain and unobstructed; but he
t deceived me, and owing to the darkness of the night, I
presently missed my way, and narrowly escaped plunging
into Little River, where it is twenty feet deep. After my
escape, I dismounted, and securing my horse, groped my
may in tlie dark, ancle deep in mud, until I discovered a
bridge of batteaux, formed for the passage of the infan-
try, on which I crossed.

I found every house and hut in my route crowded with
stragglers, men without offi.cerSy and officers tvithout men,
yet could barn nothing of the Baron de \Voe«ltke, every
one Appearing solely intent on his own accommodation
and comfort. Despondency had seized on all ranks, and
under favour of a dark and tempestuous night, with five
hundred fresh men .the whole army could have been de-
stroyed. It is from such awful examples, the youthful sol-
dier acquires experience, and learns lessons of vigilance^
and caution, which are not to be attained on fields of
parade, or in the theories of the ablest captains who ever
lived.

Wet to the skin, covered with mud, and exhausted by
hungci-, fatigue, and a night march of several hours, I
threw myself down on the floor of a filthy cabin, and
slept until the dawn of day, when I arose and prosecuted
my march in quest of the Prussian baron. The jfirst offi--

GENERAL MILKINSON. 1^

oer of my acquaintance whom I met, was Lieutenant- chap.
colonel Williiiiii Allen of the 2(1 Pennsylvania regiment, '
whii, fo my inquiry for De Woedtke, replied, lie had "7?o
doubt the beast was drunk, and in front of the army.** I
then informed him of my orders for a detachment, to
cover Arnold's retreat fr(»m Montreal. His rejily was
remarkjiJ)l,e : « This nrniy, Wilkinson, is crmqnered by
its fears, and I doubt whether you can draw assistance
from it; but Colonel Wayne is in the rear, and if any one
can do it, he is the man." On which I qtiickened my pace,
and half an hour after met that gallant soldier, with Tails in
whom I had made an intimacy at New York, as much at neiWavile
his ease as if he was marching to a parade of exercise ; who ex'e-
he confirmed Allen's report respecting De Woedtke, and oj-jcr.
without liesitation determined to carry the order into ex-
ecution if possible. For this purpose, he halted at the *
bridge, and posted a guard, with orders to stop every
man, without respect to corps, who appeared to he active,
alert, and equipped. Such was the effect of this plan,
that, notwithstanding the disorder which prevailed, in
less than an hour, the detachment was completely form-
ed, and in motion for Longuille; when, by one of those
caprices of the human mind which baffles inquiry, it was
observable that those vei-y men, who had been only the
clay before retreating in confusion, before a division of
the enemy, now marched with alacrity against his main
body !

We had pi*oceeded about two miles, when we met an Arnold
express from Arnold, with verbal information of his cs- '"^^'^'^^s-
cape from Montreal, and that he should he able to make
good his retreat by La Prairie.

This information brought Colonel Wayne to the right
about. We crossed Little i-iver at a ford, on the direct
road from Longuille, and found the rear of the army had
got up to Chamblee. Our detachment was discovered
advancing on the bank of the Sorel, two miles below the
fort; and its return by that route being unexpected, we
were taken for the enemy, and great alarm and confusion

84i MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, ensued in tlie main body of the troops ; the drums beat to
' arms, and General Sullivan and his officers were ob-
served making great exertions to prepare for battle ; but
at the same time, numbers were seen to seek safety by
fligljt. Colonel Wayne halted his column, pulled out his
glass, and seemed to enjoy the panic his appearance had
produced, until I suggested that he woidd interrupt the
labours of tlie troops on the portage of Chamblee, and
delay the movement of the army ; after which he sent me
forward to correct the delusion. On my approach to
Chamblee, I met Colonel llazen on horseback, iilone and
at full speed directly towards the column of Colonel
Wayne. As he passed me, he inquired what troops those
were in my rear, but made no halt, and 1 never have
been able to penetrate the motive of this movement; lor
if it had been the enemy whom he approached, our army
was irretrievably lost. On approacliing General Sulli-
van, I reported Colonel Wayne and his detadimeni, and
received orders for him to march by his right, on a de-
vious path, which at a league's distance intersected the
route from La Prairie to St. John's, and sriil to co-ope-
rate with General Arnold, should it be found necessary ;
but when we reached the road, we discovered that Arni)ld
had passed, and the bridge of Little river on fire. We
therefore turned to the left, and followed him to St.
John's, where we arrived in the evening, and found Ge-
neral Sullivan with the front of the army.
June 18 '^^^ whole of the troops, their baggage, stores and pro-
The army visions, excepting three pieces of iron ordnance, were got
and ar- "P ^^ ^^' J<>J»w*s two days afterwards ; and the necessary
rives at arrangements being made, the army embarked and moved

the Isle

aux Nois. "P *^^® Sorel in the afternoon of the same day. After the
last boat but Arnold's had put off, at his instance we
mounted our horses, and proceeded two miles down the
direct road to Chamblee, where we met the advance of
the British division under Lieutenant-general Burgoyne.
We reconnoitred it a few minutes, then gallopped back to
St. John's, and stripping our horses, Ai'oold shot his

GENERAL WILKINSON. OS

own, and ordered me to follow his example, which I did CIIAP.
with reluctanrc. The sun was now down, and the ene- '"
my's front in view, when we took an affectionate leave of
Colonel Louis, the faithful cliief of the Cachnawaga tribe,
and the only Canadian who accompanied the army in its
retreat from Canada : he cast a sorrowful look at our
boat, and retired precipitately into the adjacent f«)rcst,
lie continued firm in his attachment to our cause through-
out the revolutionary contest.

General Arnold then ordered all hands on board, and
resisting my proffers of service, pushed off the boat
with his own hands, and thus indulged the vanity of
being the last man who embarked from the shores of tlie
cneinj'. We followed the army twelve miles to the Isle
aux Noix, where we arrived after dark, and found it en-
camped on low, flat, wet ground, scarcely above the sur-
face of the water.

Wiien these last scenes are reviewed, if the escape of our
army from Canada was not countenanced by Sir Guy
Carlcton,* it must appear miraculous : on the one hand,
our retreat was embarrassed by disease and incumbered
with a ponderous attiraU; on the other, the pursuit de-

* This suggestion springs out of the character of that distinguish-
ed soldier and statesman ; and is grounded on tlie general tenor of his
conduct to his prisoners, and the following authentic anecdote.

Subsequent to the surrender of the British army at Saratoga, Cap-
tain Richard England, of the 47th British grenadiers, with whom I
had been previously acquainted, informed me, that after the aifair of
Three Rivers, and when our troops were retreating, being himself ad-
vanced with a detachment in the pursuit, he received information,
from a Canadian, of a party of the fugitives on a back route ; and Sir
Guy Carleton coming up at the same time, he mentioned the circum-
stance to him, and asked permission to cut it off, who replied, " What
would you do with them ; have you spare provisions for them ; or
would you send them to Quebec to starve ? No, let the poor creatures
jjo home and carry with them a tale, which will serve his majesty
more effectually than their capture." If such benevolence hud mark-
ed the conduct of all the British commanders, the royal cause would
have had a much better chance of succes?!.

56 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, pended solely on the discretion of the commander, whoso
^' vast superiority of force, combined with its health and vi-
gour, woukl have justified any enterprize. But it seemed
as if apprehension removed our,dehiUty,and gave wings ta
our feet; whilst injudicious delays, unnecessary caution,
or political consideiations, retarded the movements of the
enemy; and instead of harassing our rear, interrupting
our march, and forcing us to a general action, or putting
us to tlic rout, the tardiness of his operations gave us
time to retire, without the loss of either men or stores.
General Sullivan, an oflicer of great resolution and
perseverance, had determined to defend his position at
the mouth of tiie Sorel, until forced from his purpose
"by the remonstrances of Colonel St, Clair and other
field officers; and to this cause may be ascribed the un-
seasonable advice of his movement to General Arnold,
and the advantage he gave General Carleton, who, with
his whole army afloat, reached our position a few hours
after General Sullivan had abandoned it.
Conduct of Here General Carleton certainly committed stfaiix pas^
C'arleion. wliich as certainly saved our army, as wjill be apparent
by a glance at the sketch of the country,* from which it
will be seen, that Montreal and Chamblee are nearly
equidistant from the mouth of the Sorel ; but that the
courses of the two rivers contract the distance between
the former places to about twelve miles. Now, if Sir
Guy had made a prompt debarkation of his whole force
at the Sorel, and detachfed his elite, with four day's
provisions on the men's backs, to overtake, harass,
and delay our retreating, diseased, disordered, heart-
broken cor|>s, whilst his main body followed alertly ta
press an engagement; or if he had passed the Sorel with-
out a halt, and availed himself of the same breeze which
brought him to Varenne, where I met him at 2 o'clock
the 15th, he could have reached Longuille the morning
of that day, before I left Montreal or Arnold had received
General Sullivan's despatch, and of consequence, being

* See Atlas, No. I.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 9f

on the north side of the St. Lawrence, we should have chap.
been obliged to lay down our arms, without firing a shot. '
A column of five thousand men, despatched at the same
time for Chamblec, would have intercepted General Sul-
livan. In either case, the operation would have been de-
cisive in the capture or destruction of the whole Ameri-
can army in Canada.

Fortunately for us. General Carleton adopted a differ-
ent course ; he landed Lieutenant-general Burgoync with
a division of the army at Sorel, under orders of such
marked circumspection, as cramped his natural enter-
prize,^ while Sir Guy himself proceeded up the river
for Montreal with his main body; but in consequence
of the failure of the wind, he halted at Varennc, where
I fortunately met him, and by my promjjt communi-
cation to Arnold, enabled that officer to cross the St
Lawrence, in the course of the night, and, with all June I6th.
Ills incumbrances, to elude the grasj) of Sir Guy, by a
march of 26 miles in one day, from Longuille, by La
Prairie, to St. John's.

By what a slight thread was the issue of the revo-
lution at this moment suspended! If our Canadian army
had been lost, it is not improbable that the dubious ques-
tion of independence, not yet decided at that juncture,
would have been negatived, oi- possibly a negotiation
opened with the British commissioners, and a reconcilia-
tion with the parent state miglit have followed. General
Washington, whose lofty soul and inflexible purposes
were not to be aftected by oi'dinary circumstances, in
a letter to the President of Congress, describing our June 23d,
scattered, divided, and broken Canadian army, thus ex- General
])resscs himself: «I will only add my apprehensions, Washing,
that one of the latter events, either that they are cut off, ,^j. i^,
or made prisoners, has already happened; and if it has Congress.
taken place, it will not be easy to describe all \\\e. fatal
consequences iliat may How ftom it." Wondeiful indeed
was our escape, and complicated the causes to which it

* This 1 lic.ird from General llurgovn-.'s own lips.

VOL. L U

\

§S MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, may be attributeil ! But for General Carleton's short halt
*• at the mouth of the Sorel, the sudden failure of the breeze
whir.li wafted him up to Varennc, my fortunate rencon-
tre of him at that place, and the tardy movement of the
column under Lieutenant-general Burgoync, the appre-
hensions of General Washington must inevitably have
been realised. Whatever may have been the reflections
of the philosopher or the casuist on that occasion, it was
manifest to me that the hand of Heaven was interposed
for our deliverance, as it frequently has been in the cause
of our country. Let us not then forfeit the Divine fa-
vour, by the dereliction of religious and moral obligations,
for the indulgence of those passions, which neither pro-
mote our temporal comfort nor provide for our eternal
happiness.
Disho- Amidst the brilliant career which General Arnold was

nourable pursuing', he stained his character by an indelible act of

conduct of* *' -^

General dishonour, ascribed by many who knew him well, to the
Arnold, prejudices of early education.* The order which I had
rejected in Montreal, was carried into execution by a
less scrupulous agent, and the merchants of that place
were plundered of their merchandize, under the pretext
of providing for the officers of the army. The booty was
committed to the charge of a Captain Scott, a reduced
officer of Jersey, conveyed across the lakes, and trans-
ported to Albany, where it was sold. General Arnold
pocketing the pi'oceods. This transaction was noto-
rious, and excited discontent and clamour in the army;
yet it produced no regular inquiry, though it sunk him
in the esteem of every man of honour, and determined
me to leave his family, on the first proper occasion ; and
this occurred at Ticonderoga in the following month.

* He was represented to have been an half bred apothecary, had
became the skipper of a vessel, a trader to the West Indies, a dcalci
in hoists, and a bold adventurer in all his undcrtakinfrs.

OENEHAL WILKINSON. ^9

CHAPTER 11.

General Arnold departs from the Isle aux J^oix^ and
arrives at Jilhany, accompanied by Captain ff'illdn-
son — Character of General Schnyler Question be-
tween Generals Schuyler and Gates, as to the right
of command. — Referred to the commander in chief. — .
General SuUivan^s reluctance to retire from Isle anx
J^oix, — Determines to proceed to Crown Point. — The
latter place abandoned. — Remonstrance of the field on-
cers.— General ff'ashiugto7i*s conduct on the occasion.
— Description of Crown Point. — Taking of Ticonderoga
and Crown Point, by General Amherst. — Death of Ge-
neral Predeaux before J\''iagara. — Anecdotes of General
Charles Lee. — Reasons for abandoning Crown Point. —
A jn-oject of Captain Wilkinson. — The execution (f it in-
trusted to Captain Wilson, who fails in it. — Lieutenant
WhitcomVs enterprize and Brigadier-general Gordon*s

death. — Arrest of Colonel Ilazen by General Arnold

General ArnoWs controversy tviih a general court mar-
tial.— Conduct of General Gates. — Exposition of the re-
lative powers of general courts martial, and the consti-
tuent authority. — Tyranny and injustice of President
Madison exemplified. — Remarks on the difects of our
military code. — The site of Ticonderoga described. — Com-
parison of General Abercrombic's operations before Ticon-
deroga in 1758, with those of General Packcnham before
JVew Orleans, in 1815. — Reflections offered to rash and
inexperienced officers. — French Lines. — General Aber-
crombie's attack on them. — Captain Tfilkinson appointed
Drigade-major. — General Arnold hoists his pendant on
board tlie Royal Savage. — His instruciions from General
Gates. — Brigade nwjor Wilkinson transfcired to General
Sinclair's brigade. — A glance at General St. Clair's mi-
lilary life. — Bijlections on services and rewards. — The

CHAP.
II.

60

MEMOIRS BY

tendency of public ingratitude. — Brigadier -general Ar-
nold's naval operations. — RrJIections on General Jirnold*s
conduct, and the effects of his defeat, — General Carleton
arrives at Crown Point, reconnoitres our works at Ti-
conderogaf and retires into winter quarters.

CHAP.
II.

June 19.

Charac-
ter of
General
Schuyler.

June 27.
Question
between
Generals

The spoils which General Arnold had collected at
Montreal, were before him on the way to Albany ; and
he was interested in making arrangements for their dis-
posal ; at the same time it was necessary General Sch ink-
ier, the chief of the northern department, should be ad-
vised of the retreat of the army from Canada, and con-
sulted in respect to future dispositions. On such an oc-
casion, a free conference was to be preferred to a writ-
ten correspondence; and who so proper for this commu-
nication as the second in command. The mission corres-
ponded with I)is views, and after receiving General Sul-
livan's full instructions, witii a despatch for General
Schuyler, he embarked, accompanied by me, in an open
boat, and proceeded for Albany, where we arrived the
night of the 24th, and the next morning visited General
Schuyler at his seat.

This officer, an eleve of Major-general Bradstreet, in
the seven year's war, possessed a strong, fertile and cul-
tivated mind; with polished manners he united the, nmst
amiable disposition and insinuating address, and his con-
vivial pleasantry never failed to interest and enliven his
society : in the discharge of his military duties, he was
able, prompt, and decisive, and his conduct in every
branch of service marked by active industry and rapid
execution; but he excelled in the departments of commis-
sary and quarter-master general, of which: he had ac-
quired extensive knowledge in his former service ; yet,
as General Gates had been appointed to supersede Ge-
neral Sullivan in the command of the army of Canada,
General Schuyler determined to await his arrival, which
took place a day or two after, when a difficjilty arose be-
tween those gentlemen, respecting the riglit of command.
Schuyler was the senior officer, and commanded the

GENERAL WILKINSON. €i

northern department; Gates liad been appointed com- cttap.
mander in cliicf in Canada, with dictatorial powers,* "
until October cnsuint^; but the army to which he was cjci.uvier
appointed had retreated, and he found it within Scliuy- and fiates,
Ier*9 jurisdiction. The tenacity of military chiefs, "p j.|',^'5 '
might have found ample cause for dissension, in a case mand,
where the manifest intention of the government had General
been contravened by accidental circumstances; but to Washing-
their mutual credit, an amicable explanation and a refer-
ence to the commander in chief, removed every difficulty.
When General Arnold left the Isle aux Noix, General
Sullivan, reluctant to yield an inch of ground, indulged
hopes he might be able to bold that position ; but such
thougl»ts were soon dissipated by the inconvenience and
insalubrity of the spot, embosomed in alow swampy wil-
derness, with bad water, and within half musket shot of
the main land on either side ; and his removal was pro--
bably hastened by an unlucky accidcntf which occurred
a day or two after we took leave of him. Yet this gallant
officer, unwilling to increase his distance from Canada,
on breaking up his camp at the Isle aux Noix, meditated
taking post at the Isle la Motte, near the foot of Lake

• Extract of a letter from the honourable John Adams to Major-
general Gates, dated

" Pfiiladelphia, June 18lh, 1776.
" My dear General,

" We have ordered you to the post of honour, and made you dicta-
tor in Canada for six months, or at least until the first of October. —
We do not choose to trust you, Generals, with too much power for
too long a time."

f Without apprehension of danger, the ofRcers were In the practice
of visiting a Canadian hut on the western shore of the river, to drink
spruce beer. The scouts of the enemy had observed this intercourse,
and formed an ambuscade of Indians, who suddenly attacked an un-
armed party, within eighty rods of the camp and in sight of the army,
killed and sculped Captain Adams, Ensign Culbertson, and two pri-
vates, and made prisoners Captain M'Lane, and Lieutenants MTar-
ran, M'AUister, and Hogg, with two privates; Captain Rippy and
Lieutenant liush made their escape in a canoe. I think the pnrtv was
from the Pennsylvania line,

63

MEMOIRS BY

CHAP.
II.

The gene-
ral officers
determine
to aban-
don Crown
point.

Remon-
strance of
the field
officers.

General
Washing-
ton's con-
duct on
the occa-
sion.

Champlain; but when he reflected on the remoteness of
that position from succour or resource, the deficiency of
his means, the increasing sickness of his troops, and the
uant of suitable aliment for tlieir comfort and cure, he
determined to proceed up the lake to Crown point, where
he halted and encamped, and when I reached that place,
I found the troops still festering in disease,* and the con-
valescent engaged in fatigues, which indicated the inten-
tion of a permanent establishment.

Generals Schuyler, Gates, and Arnold, arrived a few
days after, when an occurrence took place, which is wor-
thy note, because it will convey to the reader a distinct
idea of the state of the discipline and subordination which
prevailed in the American army at that time. The gene-
ral officers, in a council of war, determined to abandon
Crown point in favour of Ticonderoga ; but so soon as
this resolution was promulgated to the army, a number
of the field officersf called a meeting, and entered into a re-
monstrance against the decision of their superiors, which
together with the proceedings of the council, was trans-
mitted to the commander in chief. General Washington,
and caused him some inquietude; for, although he coin-
cided in judgment with the field officers, those views of
policy and principles of service which seldom failed him,
prevented his approval of their remonstrance, and he

• Extract of a letter from Major'general Gates, addressed to Mr.
Hancock, President of Congress, dated

" Ticonderoga, July 16th, 1776.

" Upon my arrival at Albany the 27th ultimo, General Schuyler as-
sumed the command of the army in this department, alleging that
the resolves of Congress and Genera! Washington's instructions to
me, were confined to Canada. I submitted, and went with General
Schuyler and General Arnold to Crown point, where we found the
wretched remains of what was once a very respectable body of troops
•—that pestilential disease, the small pox, has taken such deep root,
that the camp had more the appearance of a general hospital than an
army formed to oppose the invasion of a successful and enterprsing
enemy."

I Colonel St. Clair did not join the protesters or approve their
opinion.

GENERAL AVILKINSON. 63

contented himself with the exposition ol' his opinions* to (juap.
the President of Congress and Generals Schuyler and "
Gates, whicli, owing to his defective knowledge of tlic
toi)ography of the country, happened in this instance to
be erroneous. Generals Schuyler and Gates took fire at
the implied censure of the general officers, who had given
their opinions to General Washington against the aban-
donnjent of Crown point and the preft;rence of Ticoudc-
roga. They made common cause, and in spirited terms

• Extract ot' a letter from General Washington to the President
of Congress, dated

" JVe^u York, July 19 t/i, 1776.

*' I confess the determination of the council of general officers on
the 7th, to retreat from Crown point, surprised me much; and the
more I consider it, tlie more strikinjj does the impropriety appear.
The reasons assigned against it by tlie fiuld officers in their remon-
strance, coincide greatly with my own ideas and those of the other ge-
neral officers 1 have had an opportunity of conversing with, and seem
to be ot considerable weight, I may add conclusive. I am not fully
acqwainied with the geography of that country, and the situation of
the different posts, as to pronounce a peremptory judgment upon the
matter; but if my ideas are right, the possession of Crown point is
essential to give us the superiority and mastery upon the lake.

"Tliat tlie enemy will possess it as soon as abandoned by us there
can be no doubt; and if tliey do, whatever gallies or force we keep
on the lake, will be unquestionably in tlieir rear. How they are to be
supported there, or what succour can be drawn from them there, is
beyond my comprehension. Perhaps it is only meant that they shall
be employed on the communication between that and Ticonderoga,
Ff this is tiio case, I fear the views of Congress will not be answered,
nor the salutary effects be derived from them that were intended.

"I have mentioned my surprise to General Schuyler, and would
by the advice of the general officers, have directed tliat that post
should be maintained, had it not been for two causes ; an apprehen-
sion ihat the works have been destroyed, and that, if the army should
be ordered from Ticonderoga or the post opposite to it (where 1 pre-
sume they are), to repossess it, they would have neither one place
nor another secure and in a defensible state ; the other lest it might
increase the jealousy and diversity of opinions which seem already
too prevalent in that army, and estublisii a precedent for the inferior
officers to set up their judgments whenever they would in opposition
to those of their superiors, a matter of great delicacy, and tliat might
lead to filial consequences if countenanced : though, in the present
instance, I could have wished their reasoning had prevailed."

64) MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, vindicated their judgment to the commander in chief; re-
'^" prchended in strong language, the general officers to whom
General AVashington alluded, and carried their complaint*
to Congress ; the steady temperate course, however, of
the commander in chief prevented serious consequences.
Descrip- Crowii point is an elevated plain, interspersed with
Cro\vii irregularities, and by tiie abrupt contraction of the lake,
point. may be considered its head land. It is formed by a deep
bay on the west, which is skirted by a rugged steep
mountain ; by the body of the lake on the north ; and a
prolongation of its waters on the east, which from 500
rods are suddenly contracted to 116 at Chimney point,
opposite to the ruins of Fort Frederick, from whence in
their course to Skeensborough (now White Hall), they
take the form and inflexions of a river considerably va-
ried in its width.
Taking' of This spot, called "Bointe Chevelure" by the French,
Ticonde- ^^,|jq ^j.g^ occupied it as a military position, in 1731, was

ropa and '^

Crown slightly fortified at the pass into the broad waters of
i75?'b" ^'^^ \s^ke; their barrier post being Carillon, a quad-
General rangular work, with regular bastions of masonry built
on a rock, at Ticonderoga, fifteen miles south, but most
injudiciously placed. On the approacii of General Am-
Jierst, in 1759, Mons. Bourlemarque the French com-
mander, retired from Ticonderoga with his main body,
leaving a garrison of four hundred men, to defend
the fort, and intrenched himself en the opposite sides of
the strait formed by Crown point and Chimney point.
General Amiierst opened trenches against Carillon the
23d July, and the place was abandoned and blown uj),
after a feeble defence, on the 26th. The British general
advanced to Crown point the 4th of August, from whence
the French troops had previously retired, and his chief
engineer. Colonel Eyre, immediately selected the site and
traced the lines of Fort Fredei'ick, a regular pentagonal
fortification, with tliree redoubts, calculated for a garri-
son of 2000 men. A considerable part of the ditch of
this work was blown out of solid linie-sione, the frag-
ments of wliich, broken in small pieces, form part of the

Amherst.

GENERAL WILKINSON. tf5

glacis for the south-east curtain. After the peace of 1763, cHAP.
this place was occupied by a siibalterri, with a mere safe- ''
guard, and was the residence of an ent^iiicer by the name
of Benzel; hut it was accidentally hurned before the
American revolution. The position of Fort Frederick
does not appear to be the most judicious the grouml ad-
mitted ; it is in the angle formed by the bay on the w est,
and the lake to the north, and was selected it would seem
for the convenience of water, and the protection of the
harbour.

While General Amherst was engaged in the erection Death of
of Fort Frederick, General Predeaux was slain at the pp"<ieaux
siege of Niagara by the bursting of a shell just as it es- July 19,
caped the mouth of a cohorn. Sir William Johnson suc-
ceeded to the command, and after reducing the place,
(July 25th,) Lieutenant Moncrief, accompanied by Cap-
tain Ciiarles Lee,* was despatched with the intelligence
to the commander in chief at Crown point. Lee's family, Anec-
fortune, education and talents gave him consideration in ''"'^^ °f
the eyes of General Amherst, wIm>, during his stay there, Charles
condescended to invite him to visit the works on which ^^^•
the troops were labouring, and even to ask his opinions
of them. Captain Lee commended the plan and execu-
tion, but, having examined the circun»jacent ground from
the rampart, called the General's attention to a knob at
half camion shot, the summit of which commanded the
crown of the parapet, and observed, that he ^'feared it
might furnish an inconvenient lodgment to an enemy in case
of a siege,'* The justice of the remark did not render it
less unpalatable, for military chiefs are frequently moie
apt than any other men in power, to become impatirnt
under the criticisms of their subordinates ; and Lee paid
for his talents and sincerity.! He had expected leave to

* Afterwards a major-general in the service of the United States.

f Fiw oien have been more celebrated for neat ton mots, than Ge-
neral Charles Lee, and we have rarely known a gentleman who dealt
more freely in biting sarcasm. Tlie following anecdote is of the lat-
ter cast, and, with that above cited, Wiis derived from General Gales.
During his visit at Crown point, Captain Lee dined with a mess of
YOL. I. I

66 MEMOIRS BY

CH\P. spend llic winter in the rity of New York, but was re-
" manded to Nia.ejara, and to reach that post, he was
oblijjed to make the circuit of Philadelphia and Pitts-
burgh, and from the last place to traverse a wildernt s«
of eighty leasjucs, by Le Boeuf and Presq' Isle ; yet the
General profited by Captain Lee's observations, and oc-
cupied the offensive knob with a strong redoubt, the stone
rcvetenient of which continues in pretty good condition.
Nevertheless, at the period of our retreat from Cana-
da, the country to the westward being perfectly wild and
iin( ultivated, and to the eastward but newly and thinly
settled, we were obliged to draw our munitions of war of
every species, from Albany and the New England states;
if, then, we had in our diseased, enfeebled, and distract-
ed state, attempted to h(dd possession of Crown point,
we must on the approach of Sir Guy Carleton, have re-
tired or been captured; because by his hords of In-
dians he could have cut off our communication with
the interior, or turned our right, and taken post in our
rear, as neither our numbers nor discipline warranted
our meeting him in the field ; but at the present day,
should a national depot be deemed necessary on the
waters of Lake Champlain, (with a strong barrier post
at Rouse's point) Crown point presents as suitable a site
as any to be found, with the advantage of half finished
works, which would save'at least an hundred thousand
dollars expense.

Immediately after the council. General Gates took com-
ma)id of the army, and returned to Ticonderoga, leaving

his brethren of ihe sword, and among them an officer, who had re-
ceived a shot the precedlni^ campaign on the plains of Abraham, di-
rectly in the forehead, which, from the circumstance of the ball being
flattened and spent by some previous collision and the particular po-
sition of the head at the time, passed over the skull under the scalp,
and was cut out at the occiput. To verity a fact so extraordinary, the
ball was produced. In the course of the conversation which arose out
of this incident, some one observed, that the officer who had been
[wounded, ouglit to transmit the ball to the Royal Society, as a subject
of natural curiosity; on which Lee drily observed, " The skull must
be a subject of more curious inquiry, aud should accompany the ball."

GENERAL WILKINSON. 67

General Arnold at Crown point to bring up the rear,\vlii(:li chap.
was Hccomplisficd leisurely and by detachments, without "
interruption. Pendin.q these movements, I projec ted a j^^. , ^^
little enterprise that had for its ohjert the capture of any I'rojfct of
reconnoitring party of the enemy, whiclj might be sent \v[]i^''n.
in quest of us ; it was my plan to descend the lake under son.
cover of the night, with a couple of light batteaux and
fifty men, to conceal myself duritjg the day in creeks ami
inlets, and fall upon the rear of any scout which might
follow the army. The b(>ats were equipped under my
particular* attention, and t!ie detachment selected ; but,
as the eastern tronps to wliich I belonged had moved, the
party was drawn from the Pennsylvania line, in conse-
quence of which the ofliceis objected to my command, and
although suppoi'ted by Arnold, I yielded my pretensions,
on the ground of equity, to a Captain Wilson of Carlisle, Ciptain
who since lost his life in an electioneering fracas at that ^^'Is^f^
borough. This officer, impatient of success, adventured executuig
too far, and was intercepted in the river Sorel, near tlie '*•
Isle aux Noix, by Captain James H. Craig,* of the 47th
British infantry, who liad just embarked on a similar en-
terprize, with a superior force, composed of a detach-
ment of troops and Indians. This incident furnishes one
instance among many, wherein my disappointments have
eventuated fortunately, and justified the adage that «« man
may propose, but God will dispose;*' a reflection which has
proved a never failing source of consolation, under the
gorost afflictions of my life.

In this place the reader may not be dissatisfied with a
particular narrative of an adventure, which terminated
very differently from that undertaken by Captain Wil-
son. The material fact has been recorded in history,
and I shall now give the details, from my own know-
ledge and the information of the partisan.

Lieutenant 'Whitcomb, of Warner's regiment, an unlet- Liffnte-
tered child of the woods from the frontier of the Ilamp- colnbw

• Shice a lieutenant-general in the British army and jfoveinor and
captain-general of the Canadas.

^8 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, shire grants, with all the little stratagems of an Indian, ami
**■ a dauntless heart, had been selected for the service, and
terniize ^ent into Canada before General Gates's arrival, to take a
and Brig, prisoner, for the purpose of intelligence. Being well ac-
don's °^ quainted with his business, he chose one man only for
death. tj^e companion of his enterprize,* who he informed me,
cither deserted him or got lost before he reached the ul-
timate point of his march. Proceeding down the west
side of Lake Champlain. Whitcomb turned St. John's on
his light, and approaching Cliamblee late in the night,
unintentionally crept within the chain of sentinels of a
newly formed encampment. He was [tailed, and found
himself surrounded before he discovered his situation.
The ground had not been cleared, and the surface was
thickly covered with th.e sprouts of the scrubby oak, or
black jack, little more than knee high. Encircled and
closely pressed by the soldiery in quest of him, who in
the dark were scattered in every direction, his immediate
escape became impracticable; in this extremity he sud-
denly prostrated himself among the bushes, and distinct-
ly heard the observations and inquiries of his pursuers
respecting him ; turning on his back, with his knife he
cut drtached twigs which he found within his reach, and
sticking them carelessly in the ground around him, be-
fore day his person was concealed, and in this position
he continued motionless until the follovxing night, when
he made his escape, by crawling on the earth. He in-
formed me, that in the course of the day, the soldiery
frequently passed and repassed within six feet of him,
and an officer very nearly rode over him; but the great-
est danger of his being discovered arose from clearing off
the ground, which was pushed within twenty feet of him
the naxt day, wlien the retreat called off the fatigue.

Having regained the forest, Whitcomb concealed him-
self a few days, until the alarm he had occasioned sub-

• Numbers beli-ay movements, particilarly in forests, where the
pressure of tlie grass and the rumpling of the leaves, will enable an
experienced hand to track either man or beast with facility.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 09

•Wed, and lie tlicn ambuscaded the road leading from chap.
Cliamblee to St. John's, at a point from uheme his eye ^'*
coramanded an extensive view up and down. Here he
expected to intercept some unsusi)icioijs passenejcr.

The hard fortune of Brigadior-,i;eneral Gordon of the
British army, led him the same morning to take a s<di-
tary ride, and his approach was discovered by Whitcomb,
soon after he had taken his stand. The General was in
full uniform, his epaulets rich, he might have a gold watch
and money about him, and he appeared to be a great
chief. The time f«»r our partisan's return was at hand,
and it was uncertain whether he could make a prisoner,
and if he did, being alone, it would be difficult to conduct
him in. This reasoning was too powerful for Whitcomb's
sense of morals and humanity; he determined to disobey
his orders, and marked his victim. The road brought
Gordon within thirty feet of Whitcomb's ambuscade ; he
presented, took aim, covered his object, and kept his
sight on him until he got a side view of his back; hetiien
fired, and the ball took effect under the riglit shoulder
blade, but the w^ound, though mortal, did not produce sud-
den death, and the General's horse carried him into St.
John's, where he soon after expired. — Thus the assassin
missed his spoil!!!

That Whitcomb believed he was performing a merito-
rious act, is clearly evinced by his reporting it with exul-
tation ; for it would otherwise have been impossible ever
to have convicted him of it. In speaking of tlie adven-
ture, he gave me the preceding details, and added that
he «< lost his object by shooting Gordon a little too highy
owing to the accidental intervention of a Jinttering leaf in
the instant he pulled trigger."

This abominable outrage on the customs of war and
tJie laws of humanity, produced a sensation of strong
disgust in the army, and men of sensibility and honour
did not conceal their abhorrence of its perpetrator. Yet
it was impossible, in the temper of the times, to bring
him to punishment, without disaffec ting the figjjting men
on that whole frontier.

70

MEMOIRS BY

CHAP.
11.

Arrest of
Colonel
Hazen, by
Geneial
Arnold.

But if he could not be punished consistently with sound
policy, yet his promotion to a majority the ensuing win-
ter, not only sanctioned the murder but rewarded the
murderer. — Such are the dreadful demoraliziing effects of
war, and more particularly of a civil war III

Soon after the arrival of the troops at Ticonderoga, a
private animosity which had long subsisted between Ge-
neral Arnold and Colonel Hazen, burst into a flame and
produced the arrest of the Colonel, on a charge wliich
favoured more of personal nscntment, than a sense of
public duty. A general court martial was ordered for
his trial, of wliich Colonel Enoch Poor was president^
and in the course of the inquiry, a controversy arose be-
tween the court and General Arnold, who appeared as
prosecutor, which produced the following comniuni-
cations :—

General Jlrnold to the General Court MartiaL

General *« As the court have refused accepting my principal
Arnold's evidence, Major Scott,* after having declared to them on

controver- ' j ' o

sy with honour, that he had punctually obeyed my orders, re-
rarfot?r^t ^pecting the goods he had in charge from Montreal to
mariUl. Chamblee, and of course is not at all interested in the

event of Colonel Hazen's trial, I do solemnly protest

against their proceedings and refusal as unprecedented^

and I think unjust.

« B. ARNOLD, Brig, Gen.

** Ticonderoga, Aug, 2d, 1776.'*

Whereupon the court determined, that <« this protest
appears to them illegal, illiberal, and ungentleman-like:
for these reasons they have objected to its entry, and re-
fuse the same." The court moreover direct the presi-
dent to demand satisfaction of the General, which was
done in the following terms :

• The Captain Scott who had charge of the plundered goods, being'
reduced, 1 have understood, jic afterwards joined the enemy in New

York.

GENERAL WILKINSON. yt

To Brigadier-general Arnold. ij ' i

; *< Ticonderoga, Aug. 3d, 1776.

•^ *• Sir,

" As you have evidently railed in question not only
the honour, but the justice likewise of this court, by the
illiberal protest you have exhibited, tlie court have direct-
ed me, and as president of this court i esteem it my duty,
to inform you that you have drawn upon yourself their
just iudit^nation, and that nothin.2^ but an open acknow-
ledgment of your errors will be received as satisfactory,
»' By order of the court,

« ENOCH POOR, Col. ^ PresU.*'

To which General Arnold made the following reply:

« Ticonderoga, Aug. 4th, 177G.
« Gentlemen^

" The very extraordinary vote of the court and direc-
tions given to the president, and his still more extraor-
dinary demand, are in my opinion ungcnteel and inde-
cent reflections on a superior oflicer, whicli the nature
and words of my protest will by no means justify; nor
was it designed as they have construed it. I am not very
conversant with courts martial, but this I will venture to
say, they are composed of men not infallible; even you
may have erred. — Congress will judge between us; to
whom I will desire the general to transmit the proceed-
ings of this court. This I can assure you, I shall ever,
in public or in private, be ready to support the character
of a man of honour; and as your very nice and delicate
honour in your apprehension is injured, you may depend
as soon as this disagreeable service is at an end (which
God grant may soon be the case), I will by no means with-
hold from any gentleman of the court, the satisfaction
his nice fionour may require. — Your demand 1 shall not
comply with.

« B. ARNOLD.
« To the Court Martial.'*

72 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. On the receipt of this letter, the court addressed Ma-
'^ jor-general Gates :

« Ticonderoga, Aug. 6th, 1776.
*( Sir,

« We do not make any doubt of your having heard
that this court has taken umbrage, at some part of Ge-
neral Arnold's behaviour in the course of liis prosecution
of Colonel Hazen. We are sensible men of rank should
be treated with delicacy; we are also sensible, that it is
our duty to maintain tlie dignity and authority of the
court martial ; and that an attempt to lessen the one or
renflcr the other contemptible is proportionally a greater
offence, as the person is in a station more elevated, and
that passing over such attempts must have the worst ef-
fects on the discipline of the army.

« We know we have power to compel parties before us
to decent behaviour, and to punish insults offered to us.
'Tis a power incident to courts, and without which they
would be ridiculous and nugatory. 'Tis a power we wish
not to exercise in the case of General Arnold especially,
A power however we must use in liis case, unless lie
gives this court the satisfaction they have demanded.
Justice to the army and to our country, require it of us.
The case is shortly this :— A witness was offered to the
court to support the charge brought by General Arnold
against Colonil Hazen, to whom exception was taken,
that he was intt*rested in the event of the trial, and there-
fore not admissible. The court, after hearing the alle-
gations of both parties, adjudged that he was interested,
and rejected him. Other witnesses v\ere called, and the
trial went on. After some time, General Arnold again
pressed for the admission of the above witness, at the
same time observing to the court, that he would enter a
protest on their minutes unless his request should be
granted; — he was refused. He then offered liis protest
against f)ur proceedings, couched we think in indecent
terms, and directly imi)eaching the justice of the court.
If he tliought by his protest to stop the px'oceedings, he

GENERAL WILKINSON. 73

certainly Iwis not considered how far that practice would chap.
lead. If cither party has a right to stop the proceedings ""
hy protest, both parties must have the same right, and
then there needs nothing more to screen every offender
from punishment,' and, on the other hand, it would ex>
pose a person, who might have the misfortune to be ob-
noxious to his superior officer, to perpetual persecution;
—however conscious of his innocence, in vain would he
expect redress from a general court martial ; for in the
moment of a well founded expectation of an honourable
acquittal, a protest appears and blasts it all, and sends
him back to his room a melancholy prisoner. But on the
contrary, if his design was no more, than by an entry of
his protest on our minutes, to operate against the justice
and equity of our proceedings, we must and do consider
ourselves as an improper conveyance to our superiors of
that protest, whirii was so replete with crimination and
abuse. We could add, that the illiberal sentiments of the
protest was not the only injury offered us : the whole of
the General's conduct during the trial, was marked with
contempt and disrespect towards the court; and by his
extraordinary answer, he has added Injury to insult.

We have mentioned these things, that you might know
what were our motives in this matter; and our principal
design is this, that through you General Arnold may
know the light in which we have seen this matter, which
we flatter ourselves you will readily see the propriety of,
and from the regard you have for the honour, the disci-
pline, and subordination of the army, you will not by a
sudden dissolution, put it out of our power to obtain that
satisfaction we are entitled to.

*< By order of the court.

« ENOCH POOR, Col. 4' Pres'L
'< To Major-general Gates,

Comd'g the J\'ortlicrn JlmiyJ'*

On the receipt of this letter, General Gates, who ba-
lanced between the policy of justifying the court or pro-
tecting General Arnold, determined in favour of the lat-
yoL. I. K

<>4ft!:v

74 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, ter ; the court was immediately dissolved, and Arnold the
"• following day was appointed to command the squadron
proposed for the defence of the lake.

The occurrences on this trial, from its origin to its
close, present a very melancholy series of examples, to
show how feeble arc the barriers of law, against the in-
fluence or the partialities of men possessing powers over
whicli there is no controul. The example of those trans-
•actions and of some others, appear to have had a most
iihhappy influence on the militiiry jurisprudence of the
^ ■ United States. In this work there will be found more

than one case of a similar character, in which the private
passions and particular influence of men intrusted with
honourable command, have prevailed with wrong on their
side over every principle of constitution, justice, and dis-
regard of honour. The annexed letter will exhibit a spe-
cimen of the mode in which usurpation secretly conducts
its operations, and blinks at the public credulity, which
presumes that all things are fair and above board.

Extract of a letter from Major-general Gates to his Excel-
lency John Hancock, esq. President of the General Con-
gress, dated Ticonderoga, Sept. 2(f, 1776.

" By this conveyance your excellency will receive a
large packet containing the proceedings of a general court
martial, held by my order upon Colonel Hazen, upon a
complaint exhibited by Brigadier-general Arnold. The
warmth of General Arnold's temper might possibly lead
him a litte further than is marked by the received line of
decorum to be observed before and towards a court mar-
tial. Seeing and knowing all circumstances, I am con-
vinced if there was a fault on one side, there was too
much acrimony on the other. Here again I was obliged
to act DicTAToiiiAXLY, and dissolve tlie court martial the
instant they demanded General Arnold to be put in arrest.
The United States must not be deprived of that excellent
officer's services at this important moment. I wisli your
excellency would represent this affair in the most favour-
able light to Congress. Upon such occasions, there is a way

GENERAL WILKINSON. 75

to satisfy complaints without publicly disgracing those com- CHAP,
plained of, especially when a general officer of acknow- "'
ledged merit is a party concerned."

Such was the popularity Arnold had acquired by Iiis abor-
tive enterprizc across the wilderness, from Kennobeck to
the St. Lawrence; fruitful only in the su ffcrings and sacrifice
of many brave men ; — such the effect of popular influence
on military power, that in this instance, the principles of
justice were subverted, and the best interests of the army '
sacrificed: and, as our system of military jurisprudence,'
under the management of arbitrary chiefs and despotic
ministers, still continues to be little more than a mock-
ery, the respect and the regard whicii I bear the pi-ofes-
sion of my early choice, degraded as it lias been by Prc:
sident Madison, from the lofty ground of characteristic
frankness and punctilious honour, to the base level of his
own corrupt intrigues and hideous hypocrisy, will induce
me, for the information of the honourable and ingenuous
who still wear the sword, to hazard a brief analysis of
the relative powers of general courts martial and the con-
stituent authority.

A general court martial, a tribunal of tlie higliest mi- Exposi-
litary jurisdiction, ought always to be attended by order- reLtive
Iv officers and a guard, proportioned to its rank and the power of

* yi'eiieral

solemnity of the inquiry, for the preservation of order courts

and the maintenance of decorum, the escort of prisoneis, "i^j'^'^l

a. iiiiil the

and the service of precepts. These officers and guards consti-

are to a court martial what the sheriff" and his subordi- ^J"-'"5 ^"'

thonty.

nates are to a court of civil jurisdiction, and the former
court possesses the same power over military persons,
whether prisoneis, prosecutors, or witnesses, and over all
bystanders, civil or military, who misconduct themselves
in its presence, as the latter has over all persons con-
ducting themselves improperly, under similar circum-
stances. Whilst in session, the powers of general courts
martial, within the limits of their jurisdiction, are su-
preme and absolute, and they may arrest and place un-
der guard any person whatever, who shall presume to
come before them and beliave irreverently.

yQ MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. This right, wliich is of great antiquity, is deduced from
"• natural reason — is founded in tlie necessity of the rase,
^"^"^^^^^ and is indispensable to the end of justice ; without this
self protection, a court would be liable not only to insult,
menace and obstruction in its proceedings, but to be
biassed in its deliberations and deterred from the exer-
cise of its judgment. It appertains, at the same time, to
the appointing power, to dissolve general courts martial
in any stage of their proceedings, which is essential to
the entire responsibility of a chief ; but the exercise of
this authority " pendente lite,'* is a measure of extreme
delicacy, and should never be resorted to, except in cir-
cumstances of imperious and justifiable necessity, such
as the pressure of an enemy, sudden movements, battles^
and a dispersion of the corps ; or it may become neces-
sary for the repression of factious, licentious, and sedi-
tious proceedings, to which prejudiced and corrupt tri-
bunals are liable: — a disgraceful instance of this kind
occurred under the orders of Brigadier-general Hamp-
ton, at the Washington cantonment, in the Mississippi
territory, in the case of Captain Winfield Scott, wljich
inflicted a deep wound on the fundamental principles of
subordination and discipline.

But in our government, where the rule of conduct is
prescribed by the laws, and not by the arbitrary will of
an individual, no oflicer, be his rank what it may, pos-
sesses the right to deny an arrest j and the act would in
itself be a dangerous usurpation: in such a case, the de-
nial of justice might amount to the commission of injus-
tice, and the assumption of power would annul the law*
martial, and make the breast of the commander the sole
depository of military justice; it would sanction abuses
of every kind, and subvert the foundations of subordina-
tion and discipline. Extraordinary events, which re-
quire every head and every hand for the defence of the

• The 77th article of war declares, "whenever an officer shall be
charged with a crime, he shall be arrested and confined in his bur-
racks, quarters, or tent, and deprived of his sword by his command-
ing^ officer."

GENERAL WILKINSON. 77

state, will warrant the suspension of an arrest; but no cirAP.
circumstance can occur to justify a refusal. Yet it will ^'
be seen in the third volume of this work, by the testimo- „,

•' 1 yranny

ny of that right worthy man, Major Nicoll, formerly ad- and inim-
jutant and inspector general, that President Madison, president
who has always been so ready to hang me up, on the de- Madison
vices of his own heart or the fictions of others, did au- fj^.j"^'' '"
thorise the suppression of an arrest prepared for Briga-
dier-general Hampton; he treated the olTendcr with cour-
tesy, indulged his caprices, and finally suffered him to
resign his commission and escape the justice of his coun-
try; although his secretary of war, General Armstrong,
stood pledged to me, as will also be seen in these sheets,
that Hampton should be brought to an inquiry for his
conduct in command; after which, our virtuous President
made no hesitation to arrest and rob me of command /or
a yeavy on tlie secret slanders of a band of informers, who
sought my destruction for their own emolumeritf and have
not dared to shew their faces.

Our military code is extremely defective. An attempt Remark
was made to revise it in 1806, when it was made worse; fe"ctVof ^
and at best it is but a servile copy of the British articles our miii-
of war. On a cursory view it strikes me, that the pro- ^^^ ^'^
cedure of British naval courts martial is suited to the
principles and spirit of our government, and, suitably
modified, would be well adapted to our service. British
naval courts martial not only arraign and try the pri-
soner, but they pass final judgment, without reference to
any power whatever; and it apprars unreasonable, that
the judgment of thirteen honourable men, acting under
an oath, should be set aside by an individual at his dis-
cretion, who is a stranger to the sensibilities of a sailor
or soldier, is controuled by no sensible obligation, and
never read a word of law. This system would also pro-
tect the service .igainst the ignorance and brutality of
arbitrary, upstart, immoral commanders, of whom I can-
not convey my idea in a more concise manner, than by a
reference to my general order of 15th December, 1815,
and the cruel treatment of Captain Joseph Treat, of the

78 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, late 21st regiment United States infantry, as set forth in
*'■ a pamphlet published by him in Philadelphia, 1815, in
wliich he invokes the justice of the cold hearted Presi-
dent Madison without effect.*
The site I will now resume my narrative, with a short de-
derogade- scription of Ticonderoga, which is situate about fifteen
scribed, miles soutli of Crown point, and about thirty north of
Skeensborough, where Wood creek falls into Lake
Champlain. It is formed by a sharp angle in the nar-
row waters of the lake and an arm of that lake stretch-
ing to the westward, which receives the waters of Lake
George, at the foot of a precipitous fall of about twenty
feet. The stream which connects these lakes makes a
considerable curvature to the west, and in the distance
of two miles tumbles over successive strata of rocks about
three hundred feet, the difference of the level between the
surface of Lake George and that of Lake Champlain,
furnishing a variety of excellent mill sites, accessible to
the navigable waters of Lake George, forty miles, and to
those of Champlain and the river Sorel, about one hun-
dred and thirty miles.

^ This position was fortified by the French long before

the ^var of 1756. The work which has been described,

was commanded on three sides; but is rendered famous

Julys, by the repulse of General Abercrombie, with the loss of

1 75 8

near 2000 men in killed and wounded, although he might,
by taking possession of a neighbouring height, called
Mount Defiance, have carried the place without hazard-
ing a man. This operation bears, in its improvidence
and consequences, a more close resemblance to the enter-
prize of General Packenham before New Orleans, than
any event which has occurred in the history of North
America, whether viewed in relation to the blind teme-
rity of the attack, the disparity of the force engaged, the
gallantry displayed by the combatants, the comparative loss
on either side, and the immediate results of the repulse.f

* See Appendix, No. V.

f Before New Orleans, the British force was estimated at 12,000
men, and the American at 3,500. At Ticonderog'a the British force

GENERAL WILKINSON.

79

Let the inexperienced commander profit by such sense- CHAP,
less audacity ; let him reflect, that althougli rashness may "•
sometimes succeed against a self-confident, unwary an-
tagonist, it cann(»t he justified but in desperate cases,
such as the straits of Thermopyhe, where the fate of a
nation was at hazard, or where he is left without alter-
native, and by possible success may gain much, but by
probable discomfiture can lose little. Such entcrprizcs
may be compared to deep play, by which a gambler may
advance his fortune but cannot injure it. General Wolfe's
attack upon Quebec, General Washington's entcrprize
against Trenton, and Bonaparte's invasion of Italy by
Mount St. Gothard, were all rash undertakings, unwar-
rantable but by the exigent circumstances which pro-
duced them. In the first instance, Montcalm failed in
vigilance, or ft would have been impossible for General

consisted of 6,000 regular troops and 10,000 provincials, and the
French were estimated at 1,000 troops of the line and 1,500 Canadian
peasantry. In both cases the British suffered great slaughter, and in
neither was the loss of the French or Americans, deemed worthy of
historical record.

COJ>rTRjiST.

Loss of British army before Ticonde-
roga, July 8th, 1758, under Major-
general Abercronihie.

Loss of British army before N.
Orleans, Jan. 8lh, 1814, un-
der Major-gen. Puckeiiham.

Brig. Generals
Cols, and Lt. Cols
Majors
Captains
Lieutenants
Ensigns
Engineers
AiljntaiUs
Quarter-masters
Sergeants
Rank Scfile, and ^
drummers 3

Total

Regulurs.

K.
1

2
4
5

10
5
1

1
14

424

467

W.

2
26
28

9

1
1

44

1006

1117

Prov'ls

K

\V

5

6

5

9

1

1

4

15

75

206

87

240

Total regulars and provincials 1950

iVfajor-generals

Lt. Colonels

Majors

Captains

Lieutenants

Ensigns

Stair

Sergeants

Diummers

Rank Sc file

Total

Total 2037

Regulars.

1
1

2
5
2
2

11

1
266

291

VV.

2
18
38

9

1
54

9
1126

1262

M.

12

U

4

452

484

Extracted from Kno.\'s Historical Journal, p. 152. and the Dep
Adjt. General's return, transmitted by Major-gener;d Lambert to his
government.

80 ME3I0IRS BY

CMVP. Wolfe to have climbed the heights of Abraham; in the
"'■ second, Rahl and his officers, beguiled by a false confi-
dence, were sleeping after a debauch, or General Wash-
ington would not have surprised him, and the Hessian
conld have retreated on Princeton or Bordentown ; and
still more extraordinary, in the last case, Melas, wrapt in
security, suffered Bonaparte to pass the critical defiles of
the mountains, and to choose his ground on the plains of
Italy without molestation, and finally, by giving himself
up to victory, lost the battle of Marengo.
French When the French officer who commanded at Ticonde-

lines, and

r.eneiMl roga heard of General Abercrombie's approach, he found
^^^^- it necessary to the defence of the post, to take possession

cromnie 9 "^ ' *

attack of of an elevated ridge on the direct route to it, from the
them. landing at Lake George, which, at less than half a mile,
entirely overlooked the works. This ridge is flat on the
summit, and extends westwardly about half a mile to the
saw mills at the perpendicular fail before mentioned,
where it terminates in still higher ground, called Mount
Hope. On the south it presents a bold acclivity, washed
by the strait, and to the north it declines until it sinks
into a plain, which is extended about an hundred rods to
the shore of the lake, where the bank is ten or twelve feot
high ; across the crown of this ridge, at the extremity
nearest the fort, the garrison hastily threw up an in-
trenchment with a common ditch judiciously flanked,
which was strengthened by felling the forest trees in front
outwards, and these they trimmed, pointed, and form-
ed into an impervious abbatis, sixty or eighty rods deep,
in which the assailants became entangled, and were deli-
berately shot down; until after repeated attempts, during
four hours, in which the most persevering resolution was
displayed, they were called off, and the army immediate*
ly retreated without molestation.
July 17, As soon as the rear of our army got up from Crown
point, and the camp was pitched, our labours were direct-
ed to the improvement of the old French lines, and the erec-
tion of new works on the same side of the lake, and also on
Mount Independence, which is separated from Ticonde-
roga by a strait about 80 poles wide ; at the same time

GENERAL WILKINSON. 81

sliipwrijc^lits were drawn from our sea-ports, and ev(;ry chap.
exertion put in operation for the construction and equip- **
inent of an armed flotilla; the chief command* of which, as
has been remarked, was conferred on General Arnold,
who immediately entered upon the active duties of the
station j and I embraced the occasion to retire from his
family, and was appointed a major of brigade to the
troops destined to take possession of Mount Indepen-
dence, where I ])itched my tent amidst its native forest.

By great industiy two schooners and several smaller July 30.
vessels, were soon got ready for service, and fell down
the lake to Crown point, and were followed by others, as
fast as they could be equipped and manned. General Aug. 16.
Arnold t(»()k the immediate command of the squadro)i, ;^^."y[j
under particular instructions, and, transformed into a takes
commodore, hoisted his hroad pendant on board the of'^^^e^"
sciiooncr Royal Savage, mounting eight 6 and four fleet.
* pounders with ten swivels and fifty men ; and sailed Aug. 24.
down the lake with ten sail, to keep a look out for the
enemy, to train his landsmen to naval service, and to
manoiuvrc his little squadron, but under positive orders
from Gcnci-al Gates not to proceed " below the narrow
pass formed by the Isle auoc Teles and the opposite shore,**
and to run no " wanton risk.*' Two gondolas joined him
the beginning of September, and three heavy gallics tho
beginning of October. General Arnold's respect for his
orders, and his competency to the trust reposed in him>
will be seen in tho result.

•'< Orders and instniciions for the Hon. Benedict Jirnoldf esq. General
Brigadier-general in the army of the United States '/ s'tnictions"
America. to Brig.

Gen. Ar-

" Upon your arrival at Crown point, you will proceed noU
with the fleet of the United States under your command,

• General Arnold's condescension in giving up the right wing of
the army for that of our flotilla, was ascribed to the following causes;
1st. His entcrprizing spirit, which seldom calculated chances; 2d. His
impatience of command; 3d. His thirst for personal fame; and 4th
His unpopulavily with the army at that period.
VOT.. I. li

83 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, down Lake Champlain to the narrow pass of the lake
^'- made by Isle aux Tetes='^ and the opposite shore. You
^"*''^'''**^ will station the licet in the best manner to maintain the '
possession of tiiose passes, according as your judgment
shall determine, cautiously avoiding to place the vessels
in a manner which might unnecessarily expose them to
the enemy's heavy artillery from the shore.

«* You will most religiously observe that it is my posi-
tive order, that you do not command the fleet to sail be-
low tlie pass of the Isle aux Tetes above mentioned, in-
cessantly reflecting, that the preventing the enemy's in-
vasion of our country, is the ultimate end of the impor-
tant command with which you are now intrusted. It is
a defensive war we are carrying onj therefore no wanton
risk or unnecessary display of the power of the fleet, is
at any time to influence your conduct. Should the enemy
come up the lake, and attempt to force their way through
the pass you are stationed to defend, in that case you
will act with such cool determined valour as will give
them reason to repent their temerity. But if, contrary
to my hope and expectation, their fleet should have so
increased as to force an entrance within the upper part
of the lake, then after you shall have discovered the in-
sufficiency of every effort to retard their progress, you
will in the best manner you can, retire with your squadron
to Ticonderoga. Every vessel in the fleet being fur-
nished with a batteau, you will have it in your power to
keep out scout boats at night, and occasionally to annoy
the enemy's small craft. In the day time your boats can
act when opportunity offers, under cover of the cannon
of the ffeet.

*t As the most honourable the Congress of the United
States, rest a great dependence on your wise and prudent
conduct in the management of this fleet, you will, on no
account detach yourself from it, upon the lesser services

• No such islands arc to be found in any modern map; but the di-
rection must have been intended for the Split Rock, wUere, by the
•bye, the lake is ten times as wide as it is generally represented to be.

GENERAL ^V1LKINS0N. 08

above mentioned. A resolute but judicious defence of tlic chap.
nortliern entrance into this side of the continent, is the ^'•
momentous part which is committed to your coura.«5e and
abilities. I doubt not that you will secure it from fur-
ther invasion.

"As I am entirely unacquainted with maritime af-
fairs, I shall not presume to give any directions respect-
ing the duty and discipline of the seamen and marines on
board the fleet. I have traced the great outline of that
service, which your country expects from the rank and
character you have acquired.

« I have, as is my duty, ^xed the limits beyond which
you are not to go; but you must communicate tfiat re-
striction to nobody. I wish on the contrary, that words
occasionally dropped from you, with that prudence which
excludes every sort of affectation, and which, I believe,
you possess, may, togetlier with all your nntions, induce
our own people to conclude it is our real intention to in-
vade the enemy, which after all may happen ; it will keep
np their spirits without affecting your reputation, what-
ever may be the event.

« It only remains for me to recommend yon ht the
protection of that Power, upon whose mercy we place
our hopes of freedom here and happiness hereafter.

« You will frequently report the state and situation of
your fleet, and of every interesting occurrence.

*< Given at Ticonderoga this rth <lay of August, 1770.
« HORATIO GATES, JIaj, Gen.
" Biig. Gen Arnold."

I remained with the brigade on Mount Independence,
until the beginning of September, when Brigadier-gene-
ral de Roche Fermoy took command of it. and 1 was
transferred to that able but unfortunate officer, General
St. Clair, to whose instruction I am much indebted for
my principles of service and kno^^le(lge of details. He
had been introduced at an early age into the Royal Ame-
rican or 60th British regiment, and during the seven
year's war, had ?ecn a great deal of active service uuilcr

*&t^

84. _ JilExMOIRS BY

CHAP, distinguished coninianders. He vserved hI tlic (aktiig of
Louisburgh under General Amherst, anrl tfjc next cam-
A glance P*^^©" carried a pair of colours on the plains of Abra-
at General ham, the day General Wolfe bartered his life for death-
military ^ fc5,9 rcnown. I'he native ingvnuity, liberal education, li-
l»te. terary taste, ami polished address of Ensign St. Clair,

could not escape the observation of the conqueror of Ca-
nada, and his able coadjutors, Moncton, Townsliend, and
Murray; and the circumstance of their attejitions en-
larged his sphere of information, and gave scope to his
genius and dispositions. After the peace of '63, he sold
out and entered into trade, for which the generosity of
his nature utterly disqualified him ; he, of course, soon
became disgusted with a profitless pursuit, and having mar-
ried, after several vicissitudes of fortune, he located himself
in Ligonier valley, west of the Alleghany mountain, and
near the ancient route from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh.
In this situation the American revolution found him, sur-
rounded by a rising family, in the enjoyment of ease and
independence, with the fairest prospects of affluent for-
tune, the foundation of which had been already establish-
ed by his intelligence, industry and enterprize. From
this peaceful abode, these sweet domestic enjoyments and
the flattering prospects which accompanied them, he was
drawn by the claims of a troubled country. A man
known to have been a military officer, and distinguished
for knowledge and integrity, could not, in those times,*
be concealed even by his favourite mountains, and there-
fore, without application or expectation on his part, he
received the commission of a colonel in the month of De-
cember, 1775, together with a letter from President Han-
cock, pressing him to repair immediately to Philadelphia.
He obeyed the summons, and took leave not only of his
v.ifc and children, but in effect of his fortune, to embark

* Such was our ignorajice of arms in those days, that a knowledge
of the mumuil exercise, gave a man importance ; and I knew tvvo Rrl-
tish deserteis, Box an-1 .JnI\nson, who were made majors of brigade
because of their supposed knowledge of details.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 89

in tlie cause of liberty and the enitcd colonies. In six chap.
weeks he completed the levy of a regiment of 750 men; ""
six companies of which marched in season to join our
troops before Qncbec; he followed with the other four in
May, and after the unlucky afTair at Three Rivers, by
his counsel to General Sullivan at Sorel, ho saved the
army we had in Canada. Subsequently to these events,
he rose to the rank of major-general, and was honoured
with the confidence and friendship of General Washing-
ton to the day of his death. At Trenton he saved tho
army by the flank movement to the right, wjiich he re-
commended in council on the night of the 2d Jan. 1777;
and at Ticonderoga, in the same year, I beheld him rising
superior to the selfish obligations whicii fetter mankind;
and by preferring the safety of the army confided to his
charge, to the bloodtj honours which were within his
reach, he volimlarily plunged himself into the gulf of po-
pular detraction. Well do I remember his reply to me, J"ly 6,
when deploring the necessity of our retreat : « It must be
so my boy. * Tis not in mortals to command success, but
tveHl do more, we will deserve it.* I know I could save
my character by sacrificing the army ; but were I to do so,
I should Jorjeit that which the world could not restore, and
which it cannot take away, the approbation of my own con-
science.''* What a noble sentiment ! Can such services Ifeflec-
and sacrifices be balanced hypelf? and is it meet that services

such a patriot should be suffered to drag out a tedious ^"^ ^^-

wards,
term of old age in indigence, and be buried in obscurity?

Do sucli glaring neglects comport with the liberality and
bcneficenceof an enlightened Christian people? Are they
consistent with Justice and sound policy? Reason and
humanity revolt against those propositions ! and it is
hoped, that the virtue and good sense of the people, whicli
when spontaneously exerted seldom err, may be actively
interposed to rescue tiic country fi-DUi the sin of ingrati-
tude, and the slianie of neglecting those faithftd citizens,
whose whole time has been devoted to the public service.
A contrary course pursued by the agents of the govern-

••

86 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, meiit, has already tarnished the character of the repub-
^^_^ lie, and, if persisted in, will sap the foundations of pa-
and the triotisin, Convert the military into mercenaries, and the
effects of civil functionaries into sordid speculators ; and instead
gratitude, of a magnanimous policy, the views of our public coun-
cils will be contracted to the narrow circle of selfish in-
terest; and then the love of our country, and our adminis-
tration of its constitution, will yield to avaricious pas-
sions and ambitious projects, and like our primitive pa-
rents, and every people who have .^one before us, we
ihall forfeit for a sliadow, the solid blessings prepared
for us by an indulgent Creator.

"Whilst actively engaged in the duties of my station — <
while every hand was employed in preparing for the re-
ception of the enemy, and every heart panted for the
rencontre, I was suddenly struck down by a typhus fever
which prevailed with great violence, and swept off more
than one thousand of our troops. Disappointment and
chagrin exasperated my disease, until it was considered
necessary to remove me to the south end of Lake George,
under the personal attendance of Doctor Jonathan Potts,
the surgeon-general. There, in spite of medical art, I
was reduced to the last extremity ; every hope of my re-
covery had expired; I was consigned to the grave, and
a coffin was prepared for my accommodation. Life trem-
bled over the verge of eternity — the immortal spirit had
fled its mortal tabernacle, but returned again « as loth to
quit its hold,^" and after a most severe struggle, my youth
and constitution prevailed. As soon as I could bear the
motion of a wagon, I insisted on being removed from the
scenes of mortality which surrounded mc, and placed on
a bed, was transported to Albany, where, I must be par-
doned the expression of my gratitude, I was restored to
health by the fostering care of the late P. Van Renssa-
laer, esq. and his amiable lady, and the tender attentions
of General Schuyler and his respectable consort. But I
did not recover my wonted strength until tlie spring, al-
tliough I bore my part in a winter campaign, the most
distressing and the most important of ray country.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 87

Being forced from tlic scene of operations by the hand Cfr AP.
of Heaven, what I sliall say of the subsequent events of "
the campaign of 1776, in the northern department, is '"'^'^'^^^
founded on information derived from correct sources, and
my ovk'n knowledge of the topography of the country.

After sailing from Crown point. General Arnold, not* General
withstanding his instructions, put no limits to his cruise, ™/^'l
and about the middle of Sept. he was apprised of the supe- rations,
riority of the enemy's squadron, by one of his own spies j*
but as this information did not accord with his desires,
he on the report of a couple of imposters, who pretended
they had reconnoitred the Isle aux Noix, converted the
faithful agent into « a spy for the enemy," and sent him
in irons to General Gates, by whom he was transferred
to the public prison in Albany. Tliis incident may serve
as a warning to military men, to guard against their pas-
sions and ])rejudices, in estimating the reports of secret
intelligencers. On the 9th of October his squadron con-
sisted of three schooners and one sloop, carrying six and
four pounders, eight gondolas or gun boats, with twelve
and nine pounders, and three gallies bearing three or

• Extract of a letter from Brigadier-general Arnold to Major-gene-
ral Gates.

" This morning (Sept. 16.) at one o'clock, Antoine Gerouse, alias
Gerard, a Frenchman whotn 1 sent to St. John's, returned, and gives
the following account, viz. that at Isle aux Noix there are three
thousand troops encamped, and forty pieces of cannon mounted on
their lines ; at St. John's three thousand men, one hundred and fifty
battcaux, and he was told that two hundred were at Cliamblde ; that
two schooners are completed and manned, one mounting twelve and
the other fourteen brass six pounders; small vessels on the stocks to
carry three guns each, one gondola taken from us and three new ones
built, liiese lo mount three guns each; a number of flat-bottomed
bojis to carry one gun each, and a floating battery with two masts,
nearly done, lo carry twenty-four eighteen pounders and two mortars.
Fie imagines the whole will be completed in a fortnight. I think him
placed as a spy ou us — have sent him to you to be disposed of as you
think proper. Fiom the accounts of the two men who have viewed
Isle aux Noix, the account of the Frenchtnan must be falso, and a
s'.oiy formed for him by the English officers."

Oct. 9.

88 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, four eiglitecn pounders each, with which he determined
" to risk a battle against any force the enemy could pro-
duce. On this day he formed a line abreast, in the nar-
row pass between the south-west end of Valcour island
and the main, and came to anchor, his flanks being se-
cured by the opposite shores. By this disposition he be-
trayed apprehensions of his inferiority, but at the same
time manifested his desperate purpose, to encounter an
enemy of whose force he had no correct information, and
of which he could not in fact obtain any certain know-
ledge, under the circumstances in which he had placed
himself, before they were nearly along side of him, and
May 20. had gained a station precisely between him and his re-
treat. The following brief description may contribute to
satisfy the reader's inquiry : Valcour island, about fifty
miles below Crown point, is the same under which I
sheltered myself from a heavy gale, and is shaped like a
trapezium, extending lengthwise about a couple of miles
north-east and south-west, in the widest part of Lake
Champlain, but lies so close in with the western shore,
that in ascending the lake, it may readily be mistaken
for a projection from the main. Looking towards Ca-
nada, Arnold had withdrawn himself behind tliis island,
and so near to the main, that he could not be discovered
by the enemy, before they had turned the southern point
of it, and then it was by accident,* or their squadron
would have left him behind.

Early on the morning of the 11th of October, Arnold's
guard boats warned him of the approach of the enemy,
under a press of sail with a fresh breeze from the north-
west. He had before shifted his flag from the Royal Sa-
vage to the Congress galley, and immediately ordered
those vessels and the other gallies under way, and stood
out to meet the enemy ; but on discovering their force,
he made signal to regain the line, which he had left at
anchor, and in beating up, the schooner being partially

* See Annual Register 1777, p- 4.

GENERAL >VILKINSON. i||

ciigae^cd, received some damage Jiiid was run ashore on cff AP.
the ishmd, and afterwards burnt by the enemy, whose "
sqiKwIron* consisted of a sliip of eighteen 12 pounders,
one schooner of fourteen and another of twelve 6 poun-
ders, a radeau carrying six 2i pounders with six 12
pounders, besides two howitzers, a gondola with seven
9 pounders, twenty gun boats carrying brass field pieces
from 9 to 21 pounders, and some long boats armed in the
same manner; the whole manned with 700 prime sea-
men, and the guns served by nicn and ofllicers detached
from tlie corps of Royal Artillery. I would ask, should
an officer have been excused for committing himself to
such a vast superiority? But here, as at Chippewa and
Bridgewater, and Fort Ei'ie, personal Januy and not the.
public causCf rvas co7iten(led for, muh to use a vulgar hut
appropriate phrase ^ a butcher* s bill ivas to vnrnish military
follies, and justify the wanton waste of human life.

On discovering Arnold's line, the enemy, who was
running up the lake mid-channel, hauled his wind, and
by beating up and occasionally rowing to windward, he
was enabled about half after twelve, to form a line pa-
rallel to Arnold, at about 350 yards, \\ith the schooner
Carleton and the gun boats; and some distance in the rear
of tliose, the ship and otlicr heavy vessels came to anchor,
the wind preventing their nearer approach. The action
then commenced, and was supported until night, with
great spirit and considerable loss on both sides. We had
sixty men killed and wounded in this affair ; the loss of
the enemy has not been ascertained, but he suffered
considerably, as his front vessels fell to leeward to
repair, and at the close of day, not one of them was
within six bundred yards of us.f At night fall the wind,

* See Annual Register 1777, p. 3.

•j- During- the action the enemy landed large bodies of Indians on
the island and the main, who fired on our vessels wilhout effect : Ije
also embaikcd 1000 men on board of batleaux, to be ready to cut us
up, should we be driven on shore. The gondola Philadelphia was
sunk; the Congress galley was hulled twelve times, receiving seven
shot between wind and water, and the Washington did not fare b'^t-
VOL. I. M

90 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, wliich had been hig'li tlirougliout the day, subsided intO
*'■ a gentle breeze, still from the north-west. General Ar-
nold convened his captains on board the Congress, and
after a consultation it was determined to attempt a re-
treat. Some of the council were for hauling round tlie
island, throuc;l» the narrow pass, but Arnold decided on
attempting a passage directly through the enemy's line,
as the only practicable means of escai)e, which was con-
ducted in the following manner.

The Trumbull galley commanded by a Colonel Wig-
gleswoith of tlie Massachusetts militia, led the retreat
Avith barely sail enough set to give her steerage way, and
a lanthorn under hei- stern, so njasked as nt)t to be seen
except by tliose directly in her wake, and the rest of the
squadron followed in succession, equipped in the same
manner uith lanthorns, at intervals of two or three hun-
dred yarils; General Waterbury of Connecticut, and Ge-
neral Arnold, in t!ie Congress and Washington galliea,
bringing np the rear. The night was profoundly dark,
and the atmospliere was charged with a heavy fog; strict
silence and stillness was enjoined, and we passed the ene-
my's line, without seeing one of his vessels or being our-
selves perceived. About eight o'clock the next morning
the fog was dissipated, and we were discovered about
twelve or fifteen miles ahead of the enemy, who were
preparing to follow us. It was now a dead calm, and a
signal WHS made to the Trumbull and all the smaller ves-
sels, to ply their oars, and make the best of their way to
Crown point ; but before noon tlie\Nind sprung up ahead
from thesoutli-west, and blew a liglitgale until midnight.
Arnold attempted to beat up, but finding he could make
no hand of it, came to anchor. The Trumbull galley
and the greatest number of the small craft, had inclined
to the western coast, and were five or six miles ahead;

^er. They were wounded in their masts and yards ; for want of ex-
pert g-unners, General Arnold, in person, directed the greater part of
his shot. It was a desperate conflict on our part, and the wind and
our proximity to the shore* saved us from capture or destruction.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 91

w'icn tlic breeze commenced, but several of tbc liirgc«t chap.
of llic gun boats were struck by it, and driven into tlie "'
lake, and two or tln-ec were forced on the eastern sbore,
wliere they were abandoned and destroyed ; tlie giJIey
and four of the squadi'on continued their course up tlie
lake.

At sun-rise tlicnext morning the fog was so thick, tliat
a vessel could not be discerned a cable's length ; but be-
tween eight and nine o'clock it cleared off, and the ene-
my's squadron was discovered getting under way, with
a fresh breeze from the north-west, which brought up
their leading vessels within five miles of us, before we
felt its influence, and before eleven o'chx k the ship and
schooners were within range of our stern chases, two
long 18 pounders, which were opened upon them, and
kept up a constant fire, Geneial Waterbury, in the
Washington galley, liad been ordered to keep abreast
of the Congi'ess, and to co-operate with his battery,
which was of equal weight; but he suffered a schooner
to run under his stern, and struck to her without firing a
gun. By this dastai'dly act, Arnold was exposed to the
broadsides of the schooner, the battery of tlie captured
galley, and the bow chases of the ship and other schoonei*;
aud thus beset by dreadful odds, he passed the narrows
at Split Rock, continuing the action until he foinid hts
vessel made water fast, that others were almost sinking,
and that no chance for escape remained, he then ran his
own galley and four gun boats ashore in a cove,* on the
eastern coast of the lake, and set them on fire, but order-
ed the colours not to be stinick ; and as they grounde^l,
the marines were directed to jump overboard, with their
arms and accoutrements, to ascend a bank about twenty-
five feet elevation, and form a line for the defence
of their vessels and flags against the enemy, Arnold
being the last man who debarked. The enemy did not
venture into the cove, but kept up a distant cannonade^
until our vessels were burnt to tiic water's Gi]gCf after

* Re'licved to be Butter bay, a tow miks ttbiiv O'.^jt crc^k.

9S

MEMOIRS BY

CHAP.
II.

Reflec-
tions on
General
Arnold's
conduct.

which Arnold coniinenced his march for Crown pointjf
about fil'tt'cn miles distant, by a bridle way through an
unsettled wilderness, crossed the lake at that place, and
proceafcd to Ticonderoga, w lieie he had bt en preceded
by Colonel Wigglesworth in the TrumbiiH, with two
schooners, the sloop, and owe g((ndola, being all of our
squadron which escaped.

When the action commenced on the 11th, Ariiold's
galley mustered seventy-three hands including himself,
of whom twenty-seven were killed or wounded, and of
the last, three only siirvivcd, and these with the loss of
limbs.

I am indebted for these details to my valued friend and
companion in arms, the late Brigadier-general Cushing,
who served as a sergeant of marines on board Arnold's
galley, under his brother Captain Nathaniel Cushing of
the Massachusetts line, who died on his farm at Bellpre,
in 1814; to Generjil Arnold's official letters, and to the
British Annual Register, Thus terminated General
Arnold's naval adventure, which like his march across
the wilderness, eventuated in heavy expenses, and the
loss of many valuable lives, without a S!<litary ray of
solid advantage to the public service.

I have found it impossible to account for the posi-
tion General Arnold took behind Valcour islhnd, unless
with intention to escape the enemy's obsei'valion, and
then at every hazard to fall on his rear, and destroy
his batteaux ; but this suggestion is silenced by the cir-
cumstance of his going out to meet the adverse squadron.
If he had kept the open lake, he could by a chain of sig-
nal boats have been advised of the enemy's movements
and force, so soon as they came out of Sorcl river, and
then if he had been in sufficient forccy he miglit have
beaten them back, or if too weak, he could have made
good his letreat to Ticonderoga, at his discretion; in-
stead of which he abandoned the main waters of the lake,
cooped himself up between an island and t!ic main, gave
the enemy a free passage, and by his voluntary position
<;ut hiBiwilf off from succour and retreat. Yet, notwithf

GENERAL AVILKINSON. fd

8tan(]in.£; this excess of rashness and folly, in \Nliicli vio chap.
iovy was impossible, and no end could be pi-oduced by "'
defeat, but to exalt bis character for animal courage, oji
the Wood of men equaHy brave, which he was bound to
simrc, by the strongest obligations of duty and humanity;
the zeal and industi'y of his partisans and the erroneous
policy of the government, procured for him all the credit
which could have been attache<l to a sj)Iendid victory ; — '

his conduct was applauded and his bravery extolled, and
the flagrant evidencofi of his indiscretion, and incompe-
tency to command, were converted into additional claims
on the public confidence.

It must be admitted, that on defensive principles, Gt-
neral Arnold's order of battle was judicious, because it
secured his flanks, condensed his force, and concentrated
his fire; but as he neither defended a pass, nor covered
a position, nor was able to cope with tlie enemy, the dis-
position he made was absurd and desperate. It may be
worthy remark, that this battle was fouglit w itiiin seven
miles of the memorable scene of Commodore Macdo.
nough's triumph, and that the same principle of formation
prevailed in both instances, tliough the results were so
widely different.

Having demolished our flotilla. Sir Guy Carleton land- Generai

ed at Crown point, where he awaited the arrival of his ^'"'^^°"

arrives aX
army, the rear of which got up a few days after, being Crovn

retarded by adverse winds, which commenced on the P'""^-
lith, and continued to blow fioni the southward for a
week. The delays incident to such weather, and the
lateness of the season iu that inhospitable clime, dis-
couraged Sir Guy's designs against Ticonderoga, and he liecounol-
signified his indecision to the minister* the day on which ^y'^o,Vs"a^t
he advanced with a heavy covering party, to reconnoitre ricontlpf
our works, which he found numerous, strong, and fully ^^^ '

• Sir Guy Carleton to Lord George Germain : —

"Maria, off Cvoion point, Oct. 2iUi, \776.
" The season is so far advanced that 1 cannot yet pretend to inforifk
■» y^ur igi-dsliJl?, whether »n-y iliing fiftthcr can be doirc^Jiis stasoti."

94 MEMOIRS BY

CHKP. manned. He knew that it was too late to open trenched
before the place, and that to attempt it by assault, in our
state of preparation, would be to hazard a repulse, or,
1 in the most favourable result, to expose his army to dis-

memberment. To take the place and not to hold it,
would be to gain no solid advantage, and he well under-
stood tiie difficulty and expense, if not impossibility, of
keeping open the communication with Canada, and sub-
sisting an army at such a distance from its resources ; he
therefore, with the circumspection of an able and expe-
rienced commander, declined the unfruitful perils before
him, and determined to cherish his force for the succeed-
andre- ing campaign. With this resolution he commenced his
tires to retreat, and led back his army to Canada, where he can-

Winter j ^

quarters, toned his troops, and thus closed tlic campaign of 1776
•Oct. 6. jj^ ^j^g northern departments

GENERAL WILKINSON.

CHAPTER III.

Comparntive view of the operations of Sir Jeffcnj Amherst chap.
on Lake Champlaiih i't 1758, and of Sir Guy Carleto7if ^^.^^^^
in 1776. — General Gates, after the return of Sir Guy
Carleton to Canada, is ordered to reinforce General Wash-
ington.— Measnres adopted. — Despatches Major Wilkin-
son from Minissink for orders. — Wilkinson^s rencontre
with Colonel George Gibson, and Joseph JVo2irse, esq. —
l/is interview ivUk Major-general Lee. — Conversation
with that officer. — Reflections which sprung out of it. —
General Lee surprised and taken prisoner by Colonel liar'
court. — Reflections on the event. — General Lee*s letter to
General Gates. — Ilis conduct and motives compared.^-
Wilkinson rejoins General Gates. — The effect of Lee's
misfortune on him. — Troops march for Bethlehem. —
Symptoms of caution in a military chief. — Reach Bethle-
hem, and fall in with General Sullivan. — Letter from
General Washington to General Gates. — Jlrrive at head
quarters. — Causes of the misfortunes of the grand army.
•—The spirit of the country invincible. — General Wash-
ington's situation and the condition of his troops. — Con-
duct of the new levies. — Extracts from General Wash-
ington''s correspondence with tlie Fresident of Congress.
— Contrast of the British and .American armies. — Mea-
sures to oppose the enenufs passage of the Delaware.
-^General Howe's conduct, and General Washington's
retreat through the Jerseys, examined A brief ana-
lysis of Sir William Howe's operations after crossing
the Hudson. — Froclamation of the British commissiotiers
and its effects. — The praiseworthy resolution of the Con-
gress and commander in chief. — Deplorable situation of
General Washington. — His appearance. — Further ex-
tracts from his correspondence. — Colonel Joseph Reed's

letter to General Washington General Washingtoyi's

letter to Colonels Read and Cudwaladcr.-^Wilkinson

9^ MEMOIRS BY

joins the brigade of St. Clair, and accompanies Ge^
neral Gates to Philadelphia. — Opinions of General
Gates. — Gloonuj appearance of Philadelphia. — Wilkin-
son returns and joins his brigade at M'Conkifs fer-
rij. — Delivers a letter from General Gates to General
Washington. — Enterprise against Trenton. — Condiict of
Captain Thomas Forrest, Captain William Washingtont
and Lieutenant James Monroe.' — Colonel Stark^s con-
duct.— Successful issue of the enterpri%e. — Colonel Raid,
the Hessian commander, wounded and made prisoner. —
His death. — Simultaneous attacks jrroposcd; thetj fail. —
Reflections on the conduct of General Washington, and
of the enemij. — Gi'ueral Washington re-crosses the Dela-
te are. — ^Acquaintance with Lieutenant Monroe, — Effects
of the enterprise agai7ist Trenton. — Operations in the
Jerseys resumed. — General Washington's position at
Trenton. — The British army under Lord Cornwallis ad-
vances, Jan. Qd, 1777. — General Washington turns his
left flunk under the cover of the night. — Battle of Prince-
ton.— Death of General Mercer. — The British army panic
struck, retreat to Brunswick, and take up permanent
quarters. — General Washington, by easy marches, reaches
Morrisfown, where he takes post.^-Merits of the Phila-
delphia first troop of dragoons.

CHAP. The determination of Sir Guy Carleton to return

111
^^^,.^^_^ with his army to Canada in the month of Octohcr, with-

Compara- ""^ sti'iking a hlow, wlien he had approached within fif-

tive vicvr ^gg^ mllcs of US, and after every preparation necessary

Amherst's to ail attack liad been made, resembled very much the

operations conduct of Sir Jeffery Amherst, wben moving in an op-

in 1758, •' . p

and Sir posite direction. That officer, in the campaign of 1758,

GnyCarle- after advancintiT as far as Cumberland head, completely
ton's in * ' 1. J

1776. equipped for the attack of Montreal, then in possession of

the French, in consequence of the lateness of the season,
abandoned the expedition on tlic 20th of October, return-
ed to Crown point, and led his troops into winter quar-
ters. Those chiefs were equally distinguished for their
privute virtues and professional knowledge j therefore

GENERAL WILKINSON. ^

'4Ucy werU not to bo seduced by the allurements of mo- chap.
Bicntary vanity or ambition, to over^step tbc sacred obli- '"•
gations of humanity and of duty to their fellow creatures,
their country and their God, by which every militai-y
commander is bound, to foster the lives of men confided
to bis disposal. Yet those officers were not arraigned for
tardy movements, nor did they incur the censures of tlie
government to which they were responsible, notwith-
standing the severity with which the conduct of unfortu-
nate generals is scrutinized by the popular branch of tlmt
government.

Compare this beneficent and provident conduct with
tliat of some of our military officers, and we shall suffer
by the contrast. In the army of the United States, the
economy of human life, which should constitute a pri-
mary object, is the last thing considered. Ttie igno-
rance, improvidence, and presumption of the war de-
partment during the late war, involved a wild dissipation
of the public treasure, without effecting a salutary or
seasonable provision. The introduction of anomalous
authorities, and the interference of the secretaries of war
are found to distract every operation, and subvert order
and responsibility. The systematical espionage which
was worthy the cold, vindictive spirit of a Madison, ope-
rating as a bounty to dishonour, has infected the corps of
the army with jealousy, and men of honour who adhere
to the sword from love of the profession, are alternately
disgusted and disheartened by the succession of follies
and innovations.

So soon as it was ascertained that General Carleton
had abandoned Crown point. General Gates despatched
Colonel Wigglcsworth with a flag of truce to the Isle aux
Noix, and he returned with satisfactory evidence that
the enemy had gone into winter quarters. Inconsequence
of this information, General Gates dismissed the militia?*'

* Consisting ofWingate's and Lyman's regiments ft-om New Hamp-
shire, Swift's and Mottc's from Connecticut, and Brewer's, Willard's,
John Read's, Wigglesworth's, Wheelock's and Wacf<Ibrid^-e*s fr^m
Massachusetts, under General Bricket.

vol.. I. N

99, »1E]M0IRS BY

CHAP, established the garrison of Ticondcroga* under Colonel
'^^' Wayne, detached General St. Clair with tlie first Penn-
sylvania, and the first and second Jersey regiments^ to
Albany, and put under orders for the same place, Bond's,
Portci's, Reed's, Bedel's, Stark's, Poor's, Greaton's,
and Patterson's regiments, which on an average did not
exceed 300 effectives for dnty, such had been the ravages
of disease. These corps were engaged no longer than
the end of the year. Scanty magazines of provisions at
Ticondcroga, and the desire to be at liand to succour Ge-
neral Washington, should it be found necessary, were
the motives which governed General Gates on this oc-
casion.
General Shortly after his arrival at Albany, he received ordersf
ordered to from General Schuyler to reinforce General Washington,

* Composed of Dayton's regiment from New Jersey, engaged until
March, 1777 — llurrell's from New England, engaged uniil February
— Wayne's, Wood's and Irvine's from Pennsylvania, and Wlieelock's
from New England, engaged until the end of the year.

I •« Saratoga, JVov. 24rA, 1776.

•' Dear General,

•» Notwithstanding my orders to the colonels, or commanding offi-
cers of the several regiments, which passed this, to repair to their re-
spective states, &c. you will please to order them to join his excellency
General V\ ashington with all possible despatch, as also the others
thai may arrive in Albany from Ticonderoga, sending recruiting offi-
cers to the different states they come from.

" If the express that brought Mr. Harrison's* letter is already re-
turned, you will please to send the inclosed by another. Pray urge
Colonel Lewis to send up more wagons, and the bedding for the gar-
rison at Ticonderoga.

" Stark's and Patterson's leave this to day. Sloops should be pro-
vided for them.

" I am, dear General, sincerely yours, &c.

"PH. SCHUYLER-
*• Hon. General Gates**

• " JWtoarJt, J\ 0*. 2&th, 1776, 3 o'clock P. M.
" Sir,

•'By commtind of his excellency, I have the honour to transmit
you the inclosed resolve of Congress, the original of which this ml-
»ute came to hand ; and I am to request you in his name, to hj»ve the

GENERiOi AVILKINSON. Oft

and accordingly the command of Brigadicr-f^oneral St. CHAP.
Cluir, with Greaton's, Bond's, Porter's, and Bi-del's re- *"'
ffinjents, were directed to descend the North river to ^
New Windsor, on their route to the main army. These fJcnr rai
last corps were intercepted by Gcnerttl Lee, and ordered ^^^^^ '"**'
to join his division, and those under St. Clair went home,
their term of service having expired. General Gales ac-
companied by General Arnold, embarked at Albany, the
3d of December, and determined to march witli Stark's,
Reed's, Poor's, and Patterson's regiments by Esopus.
At thivS j)!ace 1 presented myself to him on the 5tb of
December, in very feeble health. He had at that time
heard of General Washington's crossing the North river
and the loss of Fort W^ashington, but had received no sa-
tisfactory information of posterior incidents or move-
purport of it complied with, by sending- down with all possible expe-
dition, the whole of the troops belonging to the states of Pennsylva-
nia and Jersey, which are in the northern department, to join the
army under his immediate command. You will please to order them
to fall in on the communication leading from New York to Philadel-
phia, at Brunswick, or between that and Princeton, and to direct iheii;
march by a back and secure route, that it may not be liable to be inter-
rupted by the enemy. I have mentioned Brunswick, supposing and
hoping thai we shall be able to make a stand there; however his ex-
cellency begs you will direct the commanding officers of the troops,
to send him frequent expresses, to advise of their approaches, and by
which means their destination may be explicitly pointed out. At
present it is conjecture. It must depend on several circumstances.
J have not time to add much : therefore shall only inform you, tliat
the enen»y are in possession of Hackinsack, and are now pushing their
way. From report they are on this side the Passaick. Their num-
ber is not ascertained, but is supposed considerable; they were
marching in four heavy columns yesterday evening.

'• I have the honour to be, with much respect;^
" Sir, your humble servant,

•'ROBEUr H. HARRISON.

" P. S. Officers must enquire the situation of our army, and that of
the enemy from time to time, and regulate their movements accord-
ingly, and in such manner, as not to run the most distant shadow ojf
risk of falling in with the latter.
" Major-general Schiiijler,**

Dec. 10.

100 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, ments, tliougli a thousand vague reports were ifi circu-
^''' lation. Thus circumstanced, his instructions led him to
take the back route from Esopus, by the Delaware and
the Minissink, and we reached Van Kempt's near the
Wallperk, in very intemperate weather. In this seques-
tered valley we were thrown out of the ordinary current
of intelli2;ence, and cut off from all authentic information
rcspectinj^ the adverse armies. The winter had sot in
with severity; our troops were bare of ch)thing; nuntbers
barefoot, and without tents, provisions, or transport of
any kind. The men and officers sought shelter wherever
they could find it in tliat thinly settled tract. We were
halted on the 11th by a heavy fall of snow, which in-
creased the General's anxiety for information from Ge-
neral Washington, and to relieve his solicitude, 1 volun-
'^atc'h teered my services to find him. The proposition was
Major adopted, and a letter* prepared, with whicli I was des-
forSerr Patched on the morning of the 12th December.

* " Vo,7i Kempi's, 15 miles from Sussex Court- ffouse,

" 12ch Dec. 1776.
" Sir,

" In obedience to General Schuyler's command, I left Albany the
2d instant, with Stark's, Poor's, Reed's, and Patterson's regiments;
Greaton's, Bond's and Porter's having sailed from thence the day be-
fore ; Bedel's remaining to embark the next day, as sloops were not
then ready to receive them. Upon my arrival at Esopus, I sent Bri-
gade-major Stoddart to New Windsor, to order Greaton's, Bond's,
and Porter's regiments, to join me upon the march by the way of Go-
shen. I therefore marched from Esopus, and sent my aid-de-camp.
Major Pierce, to Goshen, to direct the march of those regiments. He
met me yesterday, and informed me that General Lee had sent an
order to those regiments, to join him by a prescribed route. I there-
fore pursued my march by this route, with the four other regiments,
and hope to rendezvous them all the day after to-morrow at Sussex
Court-house.

" I send the bearer, Brigade-major Wilkinson, for your excellency's
orders, in respect to the route you would have me take at present ; I
propose to march by that delivered to Major Wilkinson.

" I shall strictly observe the directions contained in Mr. Secretary
Harrison's letter to Major-general Schuyler, 26th ult. a copy of which
is now before me There was a deep snow last night at this place :
it is now mild and promises rain : in that case we shall be able to go

GENERAL WILKINSON.. lOi

I crosswl the hills to Sussex Court-house, whore I re- chap,
ceivcd advice' that General Washington had passed the '"•
Delaware several days before, and that the enemy had
reached Trenton. In consequence of this information
1 employed a guide, and proceeded down the country.
On the road I casually met an officer of my acquaint-
ance, who informed me the boats had been removed from
the ferries, and that I should find some difficulty in
getting across the Delaware^ and that Major-general
Lee was at Morristown. Finding such obstacles in my
way to the commander in chief, 1 determined to seek hia
second, and to ask orders from him for General Gates;
and althougli dark, I continued my journey without lialt.
About midnight, passing a house by the way side, 1 dis-
covered a glimmering light, and on application to my
guide was informed it issued from a tavern. I dismount- Willcin-
cd, and after a short parley at the door, gained admit- count *^"*
tance, and found the women on the watch over the era- with Col.
bers of an expiring fire ; for I perceived tli£ wliolc coun- Gjbswf
try to be in terror and alarm. These women kiiew no- andjoseph
thing of General Lee ; but after sbmc whispering, in- °-^^^'
formed me two strange officers were in bed above me, on
which I desired one of the party to awaken and inform
them an express desired to speak with them. The maid
proceeded with a candle to execute my orders, and soon
after I heard a loud shriek. I instantly mounted the
stairs, and guided by the light entered the chami>er,
when a momentary scene of some interest took place.
Two gentlemen were sitting up in the same bed, and the
maid standing at a distance from them, in an apparent
agony, with tlie candle in her hand. The shriek had been
caused by the conduct of one of the gentlemen whom the

in boats down the Delaware, which will save much time and fatigue.
With every ardent wish for ycur excellency's prosperity,
"I am. Sir,

" Your most obedient humble servant,
"UORATIO GATES.

" To his Excellency General fVashiu^toii"

lOS MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, girl had awoke; but his wanton levity was in a tho-
ment changed into painful apprehensions. Awaking out
of a sound sleep in the dead of night, tlie unexpected and
menacing appearance of an officer, with a Canadian
capot, a scarlet under coat, and a gold laced hat, with a
pistol in each hand, was sufficient to dissipate all sense of
an amorous nature, and to excite those frigid sensations,
which cannot be realised so sensibly as wiien an unarmed
man believes himself in the power of an enemy. For a
moment the gentlemen were struck dumb with alarm;
literally naked and defenceless, and believing me to be a
British officer, their situation appeared hopeless, and it
was several seconds before they demanded, « Who are
you?'* The question was returned and repeated several
times in the same breath, until reflecting on the circum-
stance of my appearance with arms, I announced myself
to that interesting companion and meritorious officer.
Colonel George Gibson, who served through the revolu-
tionary war, and gave his life to his country on the 4tli
of November, 1791, and to Joseph Nourse, esq. the pre-
sent register of the 'treasury. Relieved by the disco-
very. Colonel Gibson seized my hand and exclaimed,
<• Colonel Wilkinson, so help me God! I never was so
liappy to make an acquaintance. By G— -d! you have al-
most scared me out of a year's growth." These gentle-
men had parted with General Lee the evening before,
and were absent on furlough, and Mr. Nourse being Ge-
neral Lee*s private secretary, they could of course direct
me with precision where to find him. Taking leave of
tliem I pursued my journey, and about 4 o'clock in the
morning reached his quai*ters, at White's tavern, on
Basking ridge.
His inter- I was presented to the General as he lay in bed, and

view wiih delivered into his liands the letter of General Gates. He

General

Lee. examincJd the superscription, and observed it was ad-

dressed to Gcnrral Washington, and declined opening it,
until I apprised him of tlie contents and the motives of
ray visit; he then broke the seal and read it, after which

GENERAL WILKINSON. 403

he desired me to take repoae. I lay down on my blanket chap.
before a comfortable fire, amidst the officers of liis suite; '"•
for we were not in those days incumbered witli beds or
baggage. I arose at the dawn, but could not see the
General, with whom 1 had been previously acquaint-
ed, before eiglit o'clock. After some inquiries respect- "'*co".
ilg the conduct of the campaign on the northern fron- vvitii that
tier, he gave mc a brief account of the operations of "^'"'■•
the grand army, which he condtMnncd in strong terms.
He obsei'vcd, " that our siege of Boston had led us
into great errors ; tiiat the attempt to defend islands
against a superior land and naval force was madness ;
that Sir William Ilowe could liave given us check-mate
at his discretion J and that we owed our salvation to
his indolence, or disinclination to terminate the war. —
When I reached the army on York island," said Lcc,
*' all hands were busily employed in collecting materials
and erecting barracks ; and I found little Miftlin exulting
in the prospect of fine winter quarters at Kingsbridge.
I replied to him, Winter quarters here, Sir.' and the Bri-
tish army still in the field ! Go, set fire to those you have
built, and get away by the light, or Sir William Howe
will find quarters for you."

This advice of Lee was generally understood j it ob-
tained for him merited applause, and General Washing-
ton gave him due credit for it. He had also been op,-
posed to the occupancy of Fort Washington,* and the
fall of that place eidianced his military reputation, while
unavoidable misfortunes, and tiie unfortunate issue of the
campaign, originating in causes beyond the controul of
the commander in chief, had quickened the discontents
generated at Cambridge, and raised a party against him
in Congress j and it was confidently asserted at the time,

• I afterwards conversed with General Greene, respecting this affair,
who was chiefly blamed for attempting' to hold the place, and I recol-
lect well he observed, "I would to God, we had had 10,000 men tlierc."
He was of opinion the ^ound was tenable, and that it was lost by the
insufltciency of our force ; I am inclined to the same opinion, and •he
fact may now be ascertained.

1P4 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, but is not worthy of credit, that a motion had been made
^^'' in that body, tending to supercede him in the command of
the army. In this temper of the times, if General Lee had
anticipated General Washington, in cutting the cordon
of tlie enemy between New York and the Delaware, the
commander in chief would probably have been super-
cetfcd, and the man who lived the darling of his coun-
try, and died the admiration of the world, might have been
consigned to retirement or oblivion. In this case Lee would
have succeeded him, whose manifold infirmities would
have been obscured by that honest but blind enthusiasm of
the public, which never stoops to compare causes and
effects, much less to analyse motives and measures. This
officer's genius, education, military observation, and pe-
culiar talents for war, qualified him to fill with eclat, the
most distinguished subordinate stations in command ; but
llis disposition and habits were adverse to the preserva-
tion of public confidence, or the conciliation of personal
feuds and discords ; he would therefore soon have been
displaced ; successor upon successor would have follow-
ed him, and the calamities of the country would have
kept pace with its impatience and caprice ; yet, although
the avowal may be more honest than discreet, I owe it to
truth to declare, that after the declaration of indepen-
dence, I could never subscribe to the sentiment, that the
cause of the country, depended on the life or services of
any individual : I always considered it impolitic to place
our dependence on an ordinary casualty, and I rejected
the humiliating idea, because it concentred in one man,
the credit which belonged to the whole nation j not that
the command could have been placed in safer or better
hands than those of the immortalized YTashington, but
because other men would have been found, and General
Greene in particular, to supply his place with effect, and
more especially, because the severance of the British
empire had been written in the book of fate, and the des-
tiny of the North American colonies was protected by
Him who governs the universe.

GENERAL AVILKINSON. 105

General Lee wasted the morning in altercation with chap.
certain militia corps who were of his command, particu- '"
larly the Connecticut light horse,* several of whom ap- Geneiiii
pcared in large full-hottomed perukes, and were treated i-<^e cap-
very irreverently ; the call of the adjutant general for c^olonci^
orders, also occupied some of his time, and we did not H»rcourt.
sit down to breakfast before 10 o'clock. General Lee
was engaged in answering General Gates's letter, and I
had risen from the table, and was looking out of an end
window, down a lane about one hundred yards in length,
which led to the house from the main road, when I dis-
covered a party of British dragoons turn a corner of the
avenue at a full charge. Startled at this unexpected
spectacle, I exclaimed, « Here, Sir, are the British ca-
valry." « Where?" replied the General, who had signed
hia letter in the instant. « Around the housej" for they
had opened files, and encompassed the building. Gene-
ral Lee appeared alarmed, yet collected, and his second
observation marked his self-possession : (f Where is the
guard ? — damn the guard, why don't they fire ?" and after
a momentary pause, he turned to me and said, " Do, Sir,
see what has become of the guard." The women of the
house at this moment entered the room, and proposed to
him to conceal himself in a bed, which he rejected with
evident disgust. I caught up my pistols which lay on
the table, thrust the letter he had been writing into my
pocket, and passed into a room at the opposite end of the
house, where I had seen the guard in the morning. Here
I discovered their arms^ but the men were absent. [
stepped out of the door, and perceived the dragoons
chasing them in diflfcrent directions, and receiving a very
uncivil salutation, I returned into the house.

Too inexperienced imraediattly to penetrate the mo-
tives of this entcrprize, I considered the rencontre acci-

* One wantecl forag«, another his horse shod, another his pay, a
fourth provisions, &c. — to which the General replied, " Your wants
are numerous; but you have not mentioned ihe last — you want to go
home, and shall be indulged, for damn you, you do no good here."

vol. I. O

106 ME3I0ms BY

CHAP, dental, and from the terrific tales spread over the couu-
"^- tjy, of the violence and barbarity of the enemy, I be-
lieved it to be a wanton murdering party, and determined
not to die without company. I accordingly sought a po-
sition where I could not be approached by more than one
person at a time* and with a pistol in each hand I await-
ed the expected search, resolved to shoot the first and
the second person who might appear, and then to appeal
to my sword. I did not remain long in this unpleasant
situation, but was apprised of the object of the incursion
by the very audible declaration, t' If the General does not
surrender in Jive minutes^ I will set Jire to the Iwusc ;'*
which after a short pause was repeated with a solemn
oath; and within two minutes I heard it proclaimed,
*< Here is the General, he has surrendered,^* A general
shout ensued, the trumpet sounded the assembly, and the
unfortunate Lee mounted on my horse, which stood ready
at the door, was hurried off in triumph, bareheaded, in
his slippers and blanket coat, his collar open, and his
shirt very much soiled from several days use.
Reflec- What a lesson of caution is to be derived from this

tlie event, event, and how important the admonition furnished by it.
"What an evidence of the caprice of fortune, of the fallibi-
lity of ambitious projects, and the inscrutable ways of
Heaven. The capture of General Lee was felt as a
public calamity ; it cast a gloom over the country, and
excited general sorrow. Tliis sympathy was honourable
to the people, and due to the stranger >vlio had embark-
ed his fortune with theirs, and determined to share their
fate, undei- circumstances of more than common peril,
Althougii this misfortune deprived the country of its
most experienced chief, I have ever considered the de-
privation a public blessing, ministered by the hand of
Providence ; for if General Lee had not abandoned cau-.
lion for convenience, and taken quarters two miles from
his army, on his exposed flank, he would have been safe j
if a domestic traitor who passed his quarters the same
morning on private business, had not casually fallen in
with Colonel Harcourt, on a reconnoitring party, the

GENERAL WILKINSON. 107

general's quarters would not have been discoverecl; if chap.
my visit, and the controversy with the Connecticut light '"
horse, had not spun out the morning unseasonably, the
General would have been at his camp; if Colonel Ilar-
court had arrived an hour sooner, he would have found
the guard under arms, and would have been repulsed, op
resisted until succour could have arrived; if lie had ar-
rived half an hour later, the General would have been
with his corps ; if the guard had paid ordinary attention
to their duty and had not abandoned their arms,* the
General's quarters would have been defended ; or if he
liad obeyed the peremptory and reiterated orders of Ge-
neral Washington, he would have been beyond the reach
«f the enemy. — And shall we impute to blind chance,
such a chain of rare incidents? I conscientiously reply
in the negative; because the combination was too intri-
cate and perplexed for accidental causes, or the agency
of man : it must have been designed.

General Lee merited severe punishment for his neglect
of duty and disobedience of orders, and he received it
from an unexpected hand. His offence was well under-
stood by the army, and his misfortune was unpiticd by
those who reflected on the cause of it. It is a fact, he
had very strong reasons for his neglect of General Wash-
ington's reiterated commands; but although they were not
such as to justify the violation of a fundamental military
principle, yet I verily believe his motives were patriotic,
though intimately connected with a sinister ambition; for
I am persuaded that in the moment of his capture, he me-
ditated a stroke against the enemy, which, in its conse-
quences, would have depressed General Washington, ele-
vated himself, and immediately served the cause of the
United States. This opinion is supported by the follow-
ing letter to General Gates.

* The morning being cold and the sun bright, they had left the7r
station, crossed the main road, and were sunning themselves on tlie
south side of a house about 200 yards from the tavern, which ermbled
Uafcourt tQ cut them off from their arm's.

108

MEMOIRS BY

CHAP.
HI.

General
Lee's
letter to
<ienerul
Gutes.

« Basking Ridge, Dec. 13i/i, 1776.
« My dear Gates,

«« Tlie ingenious manoeuvre of Fort Washington lias
unhinged tlie goodly fabric we had been building. There
never was so damned a stroke. Entre nous, a certain
great man is most damnably deficient. He has thrown
me into a situation, where 1 have my choice of difficul-
ties .: if I stay in tliis province, I risk myself and army;
and if 1 do not stay, the province is lost for ever. I have
neither guides, cavalry, medicines, money, shoes or
stirckings. I must act with the greatest circumspection.
Toiies are in my front, rear, and on my flanks; the mass
of tbc people is strangely contaminated; in short, unless
something, which I do not expect, turns up we are lost;
our counsels have been weak to the last degree. As to
w bat relates to yourself, if you think you can be in time
to aid the General, I would have you by all means go ;
you will at least save your army. It is said that the
wiiigs are determined to set fire to Philadelphia; if they
strike this decisive stroke, the day will be our own; but
unless it is done, all chance of liberty in any part of the
globe is for ever vanished. Adieu my dear friend ! God
bless you !

« CHARLES LEE.'*

His con. Education and experience instructed General Lee that
moUvS'^ Sir William Howe, by pushing his front towards Phila-
consider- dclphia, must weaken his communication with his maga-
compared, zines at Brunswick, and expose his cordon of posts to be
cut; and he knew that the dissolution of a link in the chain
would compel Sir William Howe to fall back and aban-
don a great portion of the conquests of the campaign; he
knew also, that the shew of military force in the Jerseys
was necessary to hold the enemy in check, and keep
alive the spirit of resistance in that state; and that to
hang on the flanks and rear of a victorious army, is the
most (•ffe<:tual plan to impede its progress. Under these
impressions, it would seem that General Lee had made

GENERAL ^\^LK1NS0N. 109

the determination to violate his orders, to trust to liis chap.
iortune, and to hazard his fame on the issue of some bold '"
enterprizc ; for we find him whiling away his time be-
tween the Hudson and the Delaware, by indolent marches
and unnecessary halts, keeping always the route to Ge-
neral Washington's head quarters, but at the same time,
watching the movements of Sir William Howe, and wait-
ing the period of his going into winter quarters. 1 have
strong cause for belief, that the decisive moment had ar-
rived, and that if Lee had not been made prisoner, he
would have attacked the British jjost at Princeton the
next morning, where the superiority of his force would
have insured him success.

The author of these memoirs is aware that at this
distance of time, the novelty of this exposition may ex-
cite surprise, and that to give it effect, it must be sup-
ported by facts and circumstance, at once strong and
clear. He is sensible of the difficulty to convince men
against tiicir wills, and of the general propensity to ca-
vil,* but being himself unbiassed by any motives other
than the developement of truth, and having never doubt-
ed the soundness of his deductions, he will lay open the
sources from whence they have been derived, to the con-
sideration of the intelligent and the candid by whom
alone he will submit to be judged.

General Lee had halted his division several days at
Morristown, and marched thence, on the twelfth De-
cember, to Veal town, barely eight miles, a conclusive
proof in itself, was other testimony wanting, of his de-
termination not to cross the Delaware; but when Colo-
nel Scammel, the adjutant general, called on him from
General Sullivan, who was encamped with the trooj^s,
for orders of march on the morning of his capture, after
musing a minute or two, he asked the Colonel if he had
with him the manuscript map of the country, which was
produced and spread on a table ; it attracted my atten-
tion, and I observed General Lee trace with his finger,
the route from Veal town to Pluckamin, thence to So-
merset court-house, and on by Rocky hill to Princeton 5

iia MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, he then returned to Pluckamin, and traced the route in
^^^- the same manner, by Bound brook to Brunswick, and
after a close inspection carelessly said to Scammel, "Tell
General Sullivan to move down towards Pluckamin,
that I will soon be with him.'* This was off his route to
Alexandria on the Delaware, where he had been ordered
to cross, and directly on that towards Brunswick and
Princeton. The better to illustrate this last route, I
beg" leave to quote the following distances, viz. from Veal
town to Pluckamin 6 miles, from Pluckamin to So-
merset court-house 8 miles, from this place to Rocky
hill 11 miles, and thence to Princeton 2|, in the whole
27|, or at most 28 miles, a distance perfectly in his reach
with fresh troops by the next morning. Combine these
circumstances with his letter to General Gates, which I
bore off unfolded, and we have a strong manifestation of
his views and designs: the extraordinary tenor of that
letter made impressions not to be effaced, and I hav«
often wondered why it has been so long withheld from
the world ; for although it would have convicted General
Lee of discontent, insubordination and disrespect to Ge-
neral Washington, it would have saved his character
from the suspicion of defection to the cause he had es-
poused. The motive for the suppression will now be dis-
cerned, and justice will be rendered to the memory of an
unfortunate man, who, however irregular his personal
ambition, served this country with fidelity and effect.

But whether moved bj personal ambition, by hostility to
his chief, or by a spirit of patriotism, or whether govern-
ed by the combination of these motives. General Lee had
reduced himself to the dilemma, of abiding the sentence
of a general court martial, for disobedience of peremp-
tory orders, or of exciting by some « cowp," at once
brilliant and solid, a blaze of popular applause, which
might not only justify his offence, but give him the chief
command. In such a case no man of pride and resolu-
tion cauld hesitate for the alternative; and it is on thest
facts and deductions I rest my hypothesis. It is for the
world to examine, and weigh, and determine^ the merits

GENERAL AVILKINSON. lU

of my conclusions 5 and whether the award be favourable chap.
or otiicrwise, they can produce no harm to my conteinpo- "'
rarics or posterity, but may furnish a useful lesson to
military men, WHO, IN ALL SITUATIONS, ARE
MOST SAFE WHEN THEY BEST PERFORM
THEIR DUTY.

So soon as Lieutenant-colonel Harcourt retreated with
his prize, I repaired to the stable, mounted the first Ijorse
I could find, and rode full speed to General Sullivan,
whom I found under march towards Pluckamin. 1 had not
examined General Lee's letter, but believing a knowledge
of the contents miglit be useful to General Sullivan, who
succeeded hiui in command, I handed it to him, who after
the perusal, returned it with Iiis thanks, and advised me
to rejoin General Gates without delay, which I did the Wilkinson
next morning at Sussex court-house, whither he had led General
the troops from Van Kempt's. Gates.

Lee's misfortune afflicted Gates profoundly : they had
been long acquainted, had served together in the British
army, and were personally attached ; their politics and
political connexions were in unison, and their sympathies
and antipathies ran in the same current ; yet long after
and in misfortune they became estranged. ^'^

The troops were soon put in motion. Brigadier-gene- '^l^^^j^r .
ral Arnold leading the column by the direct road to Eas- Betiile-
ton ; General Gates with his suite and a light guard, ''*""
proceeded on a devious route, and by a rapid march,
reached the Delaware, some distance above Easton, at
one Levy's, about eight o'clock, where we halted for the
night, the General observing that tlie Jews were whigs,
but in consequence of certain inquiries made by Levy,
which the General considered a little mysterious, he de-

• General Lee, in answer to his old aid-de-camp, Edwards, on this
subject, observed, " The lady who is a closer calculator than her hus-
band, believed it would be more profitable to worship the rising sun,
than stick to a fallen friend ; she therefore determined to pay her
court Wy turning me out of doors. I do not blame Gates, because he
has fallen under a most damnable gynxcocracy, and cannot h?lp him*
jielf." I read the letter, and quote from racmorv.

113 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, sired the party to conceal his name, and rank, as he did
^"' that of Colonel John Trumbull,* the deputy adjutant-
general. The General called himself Captain Smith, of
Berkley, Virginia; and on Levy's observing, he thought
he had seen the Colonel in Connecticut, the General an-
swered "No! he is a neighbour's son in Berkley ;" but
this observation so sensibly alarmed him, that, although
the night was very inclement, he ordered the horses to
be saddled, and we made a perilous passage of the river,
through floating ice, and marched until midnight, before
we lay down, in a dirty stove room which almost suifo-
Dec. 15. cated me. The next morning we breakfasted at Naza-
Beihle- reth, and reached Bethlehem in the afternoon, where we
hem, and found General Arnold and our own corps, and also that
Generul of General Sullivan, who had changed his route the mo-
Sullivan, nient he found himself in command, and pressed forward
to Join the commander in chief.

The following letter from General Washington to Ge-
neral Gates, received at Bethlehem, will expose his for-
lorn condition, his apprehensions, his reliance on HeaveUf
his unimpaired fortitude, and the grounds of his hopes.

"Head ^uarterSf Dec. lii/i, 1776.
Letter « Dear Sir,

General " Before this comcs to hand, yon will have heard of
Washing. |.]^g melancholy situation of our affairs. I do not mean
General at this time to detail our misfortunes — With a handful of
men compared to the enemy's force, we have pushed
through the Jerseys, without being able to make the
smallest opposition, and to pass the Delaware. General
Howe is now on the other side, and beyond all question
means, if possible, to possess himself of Philadelphia; his
troops are extended from Penny town to Burlington, and
the main body, from the best advices at the former, are
within the neighbourhood of Trenton. I wish it were in
my power to tell you that appearances were against his

* A nveritorious officer, son of the sage and patriot, Governor
Trumbull, and since one of the distinguished artists of our country.

Gates.

GENERAL WILKINSON. Hi

success; At present I confess they are not. But few of CH\p.
the militia of this state liave yet come out, except those *"•
belonf^ing to the city, nor have I any great hope of their
assistance, unless we can collect a respectable force ; in
such case, perhaps, they may turn out and afford their
aid. I have heard you arc coming on with seven regi-
ments; this may have a happy effect; and let me intreat
you not to delay a moment in hastening to Pitts town.
You will advise me of your approaches, and of the time
you expect to be there, that I may meet you with an ex-
press, and inform you of your destination, and such fur-
ther movements as may be necessary. I expect General
Lee will be there this evening or tomorrow, who will be
followed by General IJeath and his division. If we can
draw our forces together, I trust under the smiles of Pro-
vidence^ we may yet effect an important stroke, or at
least prevent General Howe from executing his plan.
Philadelphia is now the object of our immediate care ;
you know the importance of it, and the fatal consequences
that must attend its loss. 1 am persuaded no aid with
you to give, will be delayed a single instant. Your ar-
rival may prove a most happy circumstance.

" The Congress have adjourned to Baltimore, but pre-
viously resolved that Philadelphia should be defended to
the last extremity. Lord Sterling is going to meet Ge-
neral Lee, and concert with him a plan of operations. I
V ish you to be there, and would advise you not to wait
the slow march of your troops. I have wrote to General
Arnold, to go to the eastward, on account of the intelli-
gence from that quarter; his presence there will be of
infinite service.

*< I am, dear Sir,

« With great esteem,

" Y'^our most obed't serv't,
**G0: WASHINGTON.
♦< Major-geiieral Gates.'*

The troops marched the next morning; the general Dec. IS,
officers followed in a day or two, and joined General
vol. I. P

111^ MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. Washington in tlic neighbourhood of Coryell's ferry.
^''' The affairs of the United States vs'ere reduced at that

Dec. 20, a^vful period to the lowest ebb, and, although foreign to
the design of these memoirs, a summary view of our si-
tuation on tlie western bank of the Delawaie, and the cir-
cumstances which led to it, may not be unacceptable to
the reader.

The irregular composition of the army of General
"Washington in the campaign of 1776, the inexperience
of his officers and men in the essentials of military ser-
vice, the defect of knowledge for the conduct of the se-
veral great dei)artments, on which military operations
chiefly depend, the total destitution of discipline, subor-
dination, and police, the quality and condition of his
arms, and the great defect of the munitions of war, baf-
fled solid calculations, and forbade his reliance on the
execution of specific enterprizes. Yet, notwithstanding
the campaign opened with the unfortunate combat of
Long island ; notwithstanding the inauspicious events
\vhich ensued that battle, until our army arrived at White
plains; the stand made in the vicinity of tliat place; Gc-

Kov. 5. neral Howe's refusal of a general action,* which was of-
fered him on that ground, and his retreat to York island,
had retrieved character, renovated confidence, and in a
great measure wiped off the effects of precedent disas-
ters, at a period of the season, when, in former wars, it
had been customary for the combatants to seek winter
quarters. But our difficulties were about to commence,
and may be traced, distinctly and unequivocally, to the
insufficiency of our continental force, and the short term
of our inlistments. These were the main sources of those
losses and misfortunes, which pursued General Wash-

* See ALijor-g-eneral Heath's Memoirs, p. 81 — 83. This officer
commanded a division on the left of General Washing'ton's line, and
did not change his position. See also Ramsay, vol.. i. p. 395. See
likewise the letters of Colonel It. 11. Harrison, secretary of General
Washington, written to Cong-ress by his order from the 25th of Oc-
tober to ilie 3d November iiiclii.sivc, and tlie General's letter of Vhe
Cth November, after Sir Williatn Howe fell back on Kingsbridge.

GENERAL WILKINSON. iifi

inSton in the campaign ol" 1776; and but lor his firmness, CHAP.
tlic ixMvscvorance of the Congix-ss, the lesolution of a
Jiiimlliil of bi'avc men \vl)o kept the fitJtl, and the siijjiiie-
ii(!HS of the Brilish commander, in not pressing liis ad-
vantages, the hori'iblo scenes of the United Trovinccs of
the Nctherhmds, during the reign of the barbarian bigot
PiiilipII. might have been acted over again in the United
Stales of America. The spirit of the middle stales miglit
have been appalled, as was tiie actual tase of New Jersey
and Pennsylvania, but the indiscriminate rapine and vio-
lence of the enemy would have re-animated and roused
the people to vengeance. The southern states, rent by
civil feuds, bleeding by the hands of brothers,* and over-
run by the enemy, still cherished the flame of liberty,
whiclj when silence and darkness proclaimed its extinc-
tion, burst from its embers with volcanic fury, and
spread its fire in every direction. Tlie eastern states
had been tested and found invincible: numbers, habits,
hardihood, tlie enthusiasm of religion and of liberty, a
condensed population, and the strength of their country
established tlieir security, and will make tiiem formida-
ble, so long as their civil polity and equality of condition
arc maintained.

The loss of Forts Washington and Lee would iiot State 6f
have been felt, nor would Sir William Ilowe have pcne- ,.,c^a„™ '
trated the Jerseys, if General Washington had command- army.
ed an army of twenty, or even ten thousand men, well
found and engaged for the war; but instead of a perma-
nent force, his troops, for they deserved not the name of '
an army, were composed of levies for twelve months,
and militia engaged some for six months, and others for
a shorter period, who, to use the language of General

• Governor Shelby in 1791 refused to serve as second on the expe-
dition under General Scott against Ouioctunan, assigning for rtason,
that at tlie afl'air of King's mountain he fought the battle, and General
Campl)cU ran away with the honour. In this action I think he repre-
sented to me, that ttvo brothers, expert riflemen, -vere seen to present at
each other, to fire and fall at the same instant. Their nar(ies were given
tome, butthey have escaped my memory.

of the
levies.

iii MEMOIRS BY

CH\P. Washington, in liis letter to the President of Congress,
*"• Dec. 20th, 1776, *( come in you cannot tell how ^ go you
cannot tell whenf and act you cannot tell where ; consume
your provisions^ exhaust your stores, and leave you at last
at a critical moment.^* The eastern militia deserted in
crowds from the White plains, and were all soon after
disbanded by the expiration of their engagements, and
the troops which General Washington had assembled
"West of the North river near Fort Lee, to watcli General
Howe's motions after his retrograde march from the
White plains, consisted chiefly of levies from Pennsylva-
nia, Maryland, and the Jerseys, the former engaged to
the first of January, the two last to the first of Decem-

Conduct her. The term of these men's service was about to ex-
pire, and they were generally afliicted by the prevalent
diseases of camps. Under these circumstances the loss
of Fort Washington, the sudden irruption of the enemy
into the Jerseys, and the capture of Fort Lee with acon-
siderablo quantity of baggage, stores and provisions, dis-
couraged and disheartened them so much, that their im-
patience to return home predominated over all other con-
siderations. At Brunswick, they almost to a man left
General Washington, when tlie enemy were actually in
sight, and to excuse their defection at such a critical mo-
ment, they spread every where exaggerated accounts of
the enemy's force and energy, and our own truly deplo-
rable condition, which paralysed the great mass of the
community, and defeated the exertions of the zealous ;
wliilst the continental corps melted away by disease and
desertion, like snow before the sun, and, indeed, nought
but the General's unshaken resolution, and the firm sup-
port of the officers wlio adhered to him, could have pre-
vented a total dissolution of what was called the Grand
Jlnnyf now reduced to 3000 men.

Under these circumstances, in his affecting letter to
tiic President of Congress, of the 20th of December, the
General employs strong language to awaken their ap-
prehensions, and rouse all their energies ; he expresses
his decided opinioj), (iiat it was General Howe's inten-

GENERAL WILKINSON. il7

tion to possess himself of Philadelphia in the course of CHAr;
the winter, and adds **in tnith I do not see what is to pre- '"•
vent him, as ten days more will put an end to the existence
of our army;** and speaking of the letharj»y and back-
wardness of the people to turn out in defence ot the
country, he observes, " When danger is at a distance,
they will not turn out at all ; when it comes home to
them, instead of flying to arms, the well-affected are em-
ployed in securing their families and effects, whilst the
disaffected are concerting measures to make their sub-
mission, and spread terror and dismay ail around, to in-
duce others to follow the example ;'* and on the same
subject he observes, ♦« Instance J^Tew Jersey! yvifness Penn-
sylvania!— Could any thing but the river Delaware save
Philadelphia?* Having determined to take ccitain mea-
sures to increase his force> he submitted them to Con-
gress for their adoption or rejection, and adds, « It may
he thought I am going a good deal out of the line of my duty,
to adopt these measures^ or to advise thus freely. A charac-
ter to losCf an estate to forfeit, the inestimable blessing of li-
berty at stake, and a life devoted, must be my excuse.**

What a wretched spectacle did our troops present in
retreating through the Jerseys ! Without cavalry — but
partially provided with artillery — deficient in tran.-port
for the little we had to carry — without tents, tools, or
camp equipage — without magazines of any kind — half-
cloilied — badly arm* d — debilitated by di.s»^ase, disheart-
ened by misfortune, and worn out with fatigues : — Thus
crippled and disabled. General Waslington could no
longer make a shew of offence, but tijhfd all !iis atten-
tion to the prevention of Sir Wiliiam Ho\v, 's passage of
the Delaware, the only means remaining in liis power for
the protection of Philadelphia, which the Congress had
resolved " should be defended to the last exlremitu.'* lie ^fe^^ures

,.,,..,,,... . ^ . ... . 10 oppose

accordingly divided his torce into parties ol observation, me eue-
and stationary guards, posted along tiie west bank of the ^^^^ °5*'

„ sage of

river at the ferries, fords, and crossing places, fi om ihe Uela-
Dunks's ferry below Trenton to Coryell's ferry above, a ^"^
distance of thirty miles, and at the same time directed

113

MEMOIRS BY

CHAP.

in.

General
Howe's
conduct,
and Gene
ral Wush
ing'ton's
retreat
through
the Jer-
seys exa-
mined.

the river flotilla to form a chain of guard vessels. These
precautions were the most judicious which could have
heen adopted, to answer the pi'oppsed end, yet they would
liave been of little avail, if General Howe, when march-
iiij^^ against a city behind a great river, Aad not forgot that
Ms pontoons might he necessary, or neglected to carry them
along with his army.

But although General Washington after the fall of
Fort Washington, made the most of his means, yet his
destruction would have been inevitable, if Sir William
Howe had followed up his advantages, or had not re-
strained the ardour of his troops.

It is impossible I should censure any man wantonly,
much less a militaiy character, and he an enemy. I will
therefore test the merits of General Howe's conduct by
facts.

With an army of sixfold numerical force, and tenfold
effective strengtii, well proportioned in the several arms
appropi'iate to the theatre of the war, composed of disci-
plined European troops in health and vigour, ably com-
manded, completely found in all things, and elated with
success ; Sir William Howe, four days after his capture
of Fort Washington, detached Lord Cornwallis to cross
the North river between Dobb's ferry and Fort Lee, with
his elite,* consisting of two battalions of British and three
of Hessian grenadiers, two of light infantry, the guards,
the chasseurs, the royal higblanders, the 33d regiment,
and a part of the queen's light dragoons, forming a corps
on the lowest estimate (for troops in tlieir first cam-
paign who had not suffored severely,) of at least 8,000
men. A landing was accordingly made on the morning
of the 20th November,! and soon after ascending the
height, the enemy found themselves in the presence of
3,000 militia, who were suffered to escape across the
Hackinsack river, without being bi'ought to action, and
his lordship took possession of Fort Lee, its artillery and

* Marshall's Life of Washington, vol. ii. p. 476.

t See Ucncral Washington's letters, NoA'. 19th and 21st.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 419

stores. That vvc were surprised, is admitted on all chap.
Lands, and that tlie enemy had ns in a cnl de sac, IVom '"
which he permitted us to escape, is equally true; yet Ge-
neral Was!iin<i;ton remained at the villa^^e oi' Ilackinsack
Avithin lour miles of the enemy, the 21st of Noven)bcr,
and on the 22d retired to Newark by Aquakenunck
bridfi^e. At this place he rejjosed until the 2Sth, r)n which
day the approach of the British corps obliged him to
chang£ poiiition, and as his rear guard left one end of the
town the British van entered the other. The distance
from Newark to Brunswick, by Woodbridge, the route
in those days, was about twenty-four miles, the country
champaign, and the road dry ; yet with this overwhelm-
ing force at his heels, General Wasliington was allowed
to retreat in safety, and to reach Brunswick the next
day without molestation. Nov. 29.

After two days halt at Newark, Lord Cornwallis on
the 30th November advanced upon Brunswick, and ar- Dec. 1.
rived the next evening on the opposite bank of the Rari-
ton, which is fordable at low waicr. A spirited cannon-
ade ensued across the river, in which our battery was
served by Captain Alexander Hamilton,* but the effects
on eitlierside, as is usual in contests between field batte-
ries only, were inconsiderable. Genei'al Washington
made a shew of resistance, but after niglit fall decamped,
and reached Princeton the next morning, where he left
Lord Sterling with one German and five Virginia regi-
ments, making in the whole 1,200, as a covering party,
and with his main body he prosecuted his march without
delay to Trenton, where he arrived in the evening. lie
lost no time in transporting his scanty stock of baggage
and stores to the west bank of the river to Philadel-
phia, and adopted the necessary precautions to remove
the river craft beyond the reach of the enemy. He was
reinforced at this place by about 2,000 volunteer militia,
chiefly from the city of Philadelphia, witli a detachment
of Proctor's ai'tillcry, and six field pieces under Captain

• Since Msjor-genera.1,

ISQ MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. Thomas Forest. The tardy movement of the enemy bc-
"*• guiled him into a suspicion, that they did not intend to
advanre beyond Brunswick, and accordingly he on the
6th December ordered the militia to reinforce Lord Ster-
ling at Princeton, and followed them in person the next
morning. But the British army whose march had been ar-
rcvSted* at Brunswick, by General Howe, was joined by
him on the 6th December, and advancing the next morning
at 4 o'clock, obliged Lord Sfeiling to retire from Princeton
one hour before they entered it, at 4 o'clock P. M. Here
Sir William halted seventeen hours ; marched in pursuit
of General Washington at nine the next morning, and
reached Tcenton at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, just as our
lasl boat was crossing the river.f
A brief It is manifest from these facts, that if General Howe

G nerii " "'^^^ "^^^^ disposed to destroy the pnny corps under Ge-
Howe's neral Washington, (then styled the Grand Army) it was
after*^^"' fully in his power, by a single forced inarch, at any period
crossing after his troops came up with our rear at Newark, on the
son " ^^^'* "^ November, until we had crossed the Delaware.
But allowing the corps of Lord Cornwallis to liave been
8,000, and a garrison of 10,000 men for New York and
its dependencies, he had still a disposable force of 9000,:|:
which lie could have landed at Elizabeth town point, or
Amboy, and taken General Washington in rear. The
loss of our artillery and remaining baggage and stores,
and the dispersion of our troops, would have been the
consequence in either case. All obstacles to the posses-
sion of Philadelphia would then have been removed, the
loss of wliich at that period, would have involved the
country in heavy calamities. But Sir William by un-
seasonable halts and indolent marches, having permitted
our tattered band to escape; when he arrived at the De-
laware, not finding boats ready to transport his army

• Gordon, vol. ii. p. 127. Letters to a Nobleman on the Conduct
of the War in the Middle Colonies, printed by J. Wilkie, 1779. Lend.

t General \Vasl)ing'ton's Letters, vol. i. p. 315, 316.

i See Major-general Robinson's evidence before the House of
Commons.

OENEIliiL WILKINSOJV. 12^1

ACrnm, instead of sending for Iiis pontoonfl, or building CfiAP.
a few Hat-bottomed boats, and pursuing his marcli to IMii- '"•
ladolpbia, be selected for bis advanced posts a bo<ly of
Germans, who bad cxerrised tlic most wanton cruelties
and sborkins; outrages on tbe inhabitants, indiscriminate-
ly, regardless of the royal protections they had received,
and of ccinsequcnce were held in universal abliorrencc.
To such men, under the Colonels Count Donop and
Riibl, strangers to our language, our habits and manners,
did Sir William Howe commit the most remote, impor-
tant and criti( al points of his occupancy ; incautious-
ly cantoning tliem in the open, defenceless villages of
Trenton, Bordentown, Burlington, Mount Holly, and
the Black Horse; and having made this injudicious dis-
position to cover his front, be stationed a i-espectable
detachment of Biitish troops at Princeton under General
Leslie, fell back with his main body to Brunswick, and
contenting himself witlj the issue of the campaign, retired
to the city of New York, to indulge his natural indolence,
and enjoy the delusive pleasures of the long room and
the faro table, until the frosts of the season should bridge
the Delaware for his passage to Philadelphia. The strong
analogy between this conduct and that at Boston, be-
speaks some natural delect, whicb must be Sir William's
best apology.

About the period of this irruption of the enemy into Proclama-
the Jerseys, the commissioners, Lord and Sir ^yilliam BrUisJi^' *
Howe, issued a proclamation of pardon to all offenders, commis-
civil and military, frqm tbe private in the ranks to tbe ■•°"^"'
chief in command, from tbe committee man to tbe mem-
ber of Congress, who within sixty days should make sub-
mission and take the oath of allegiance to the British
sovereign; after which, it would appear, Sir William oc-
cupied himself more in receiving the acknowledgments
of repenting sinners than pushing his military operations.

In the Jerseys a general defection took place and in
Pennsylvania it was considerable, not in numbers, but
for the rank and fortune of the delinquents. Indeed tii«
vol. I. fl

i.^ MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, splendiil appearance and triumphant mairli of the Bii-
"'" tish battalions in piirstiit of our Iialf-naked, sick!y, shat-
tered force, overspread the country with terror, and pa-
triots and sages agonized under the apprehension, that
the moment was at hand, when the Congress would be
eompclk'd to rescind tlieir pretensions and pass under the
yoke. But it was then remarked, and is an instructive
fact, well worthy the consideration of every republican
citizen, that this dereliction of the public cause was, in
general, confined to the most opulent and the most needy
classes of society, to those who had nothing to defend and
those who bad much to lose; the middling class shewed
more constancy, more principle, and more resolution. It
follows then, that the safety, the happiness, the consti-
tution of the country depends on mediocrity, and that
extreme poverty and inordinate riches are alike unfa-
vourable to free governments.
Praise- Born with iron nerves, and an unhending dignity of

worthy poit, which distinguished all his actions, and struck the

resolution *^ ^

of the most presumptuous with awe. General Washington amidst

Congress, ^j^^gg gpenes which (< tried men*s souls," serene, tranquil,
and com- '

mander and self-posscssed, excited the admiration of his fol-

Mi cl)ief. lovvers, and exhibited the heroic example of a chief de-
termined to brave danger and dare death in support of a
just cause, and the defence of the most precious rights
and interests of mankind; whilst the invincible firm-
ness of Congress, (tliough torn by division on the great
question of independence) exhibited to the woild the
rare example of a popular assembly, united in prin-

, ciple, inflexible in purpose, and regardless of conse-

quences. Not to one man then, but to such a Congress
and such a chief, supported by tiie handful of brave men
who adhered to the cause of their country, are these
United States indebted for the cheap purchase of their
liberty ; and I shall be acquitted of vanity when I ac-
knowledge the sweet solace I derive from the conscious-
ness, that I was one of the little band who faced the
storm, when the summer soldier and the sunshine patriot
hid their heads. In robbing me of my commission. Pre-

GENERAL WILKINSON. fgg

aidcnt Madison could not despoil me of tliis source of chap.
consolation, nor was the sacrilicc necessary to promote '"•
the interested intrij^ues of a succcs.sor.

When the divisions of Sullivan and Gates joined Ge-
neral Washington, he found his numbers increased, yet
his diHiculties were not sensibly diminished, nor were his
prospects brightened : ten days would disband his corps,
and leave him al)()ut fourteen hundred men, miserably pro-
vi(hMl in all things. I saw him in that gloomy period,
dined with him, and attentively marked his aspect; al-
ways grave and thoughtful, he appeared at that time
pensive and solemn in the extreme ; but the state of
his mind may be best ascertained by the following ex-
tracts from his correspondence. On the 24th of Decern- Extracts
ber he thus addresses the President of Congress : «« That ^y^'^hine^
/ should dwell on the subject of our distresseSf cannot he ton's corx
more disagreeable to Congress, than it is painful to myself, q^^cg ^
The alarming situation to which our affairs are reduced^ ;.

impels me to the measure. Inquiry and investigation, which "

in most cases serve to dcvelope and point out a remedy, in
ours present more and greater difficulties. Had I entertain-
ed a doubt of General Howe's intentions to puss the Dela,-
ware on the dissolution of oitr army and as sooii as the ice
is made, it would noxv be done away. Jin intercepted let^
ter from a gentleman of Philadelphia (xvho has joined tlie
enemy) to his friend and partner in the city, declares that
to be their design; that the army wonld be there in ten or
twenty days from the 16th instant, the day of his wnting,
if the ice should be made ; advises him by no means to move
their stores, that they would be so/i'." — And in a letter to
Robert Morris, a man to whom his country owed as
much in the fiscal department, as it did to General Wash-
ington in his military capacity, bearing date the 25tli
December, he thus expresses himself:.** Bad as our pros-
pects are, I should not have the least doubt of success in the
end, did not the late treachery and defection of those, who
stood foremost in the opposition, while fortune smiled upon
us, make me fearful that many more 7vonldfollow their eX'
ample; xvho by using their influence with some, and work-

j[2li MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, ing upon the fears of others^ may extend the circle so as to
^"" take in whole townSf counties, nny provinces. Of this xvt
have a recent instance in Jersey ; and I wish many parts
of Pennsylvania may not be ready to receive the tjoke.**

During these scenes of adversity, the firm adherence,
active exertions and popular influence of General Mifflin,
Colonel Joseph Reed, and Colonel John Cadwalader of
Pennsylvania, and General Dickenson of the Jerseys,
contributed essentially to support t!ie cause of the revo-
lution. In this crisis of our affairs Colonel Reed, who,
with Colonel Cadwalader and a body of Pennsylvania
militia, was stationed at Bristol, addressed the comman-
der in chief on the subject of an offensive blow, and ex-
Colonel pressed himself in the following pathetic terms: f*Ifwe
Joseph could possess ourselves of JVew Jersey, or any considerable
letter to part thereof the effect would be greater than if we had not
General ^^j^ ^^ Allow me to hope you will consult your own good
ton. judgment and spirit, and let not the goodness of your heart

subject yon to the influence of the opinions of men, in every
respect your bferiors, something must be done before the.
sixty days expire which the commissioners have allowed ;
for, however many affect to despise it, it is evident very se-
rious attention is paid to it, and I am confident that unless
some more favourable appearance attends o%ir arms and
cause before that time, a very great number of militia offi-
cers will follow the example of Jersey, and take benefit from
it. Our cause is desperate and hopeless, if we do not strike
some stroke ; our affairs are hastening apace to ruin, if we
do not retrieve them by some happy event. Delay with us
is nearly equal to a total defeat. We must not suffer our-
selves to be lulled into security and inactivity, because the
enemy does not cross the river. The love of my country, a
wife and four children, the respect and attachment I harve
to you, the ruin and poverty which must attend me and
thousands of others, will plead my excuse for so much free-
dom."^ Whatever might have been the effect of this let-
ter on the mind of General Washington, it is a conclu-

' Gordon.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 12i

«ire testimony of tlie judgment, zeal and patriotism of CHXP-
Colonel Reed, afterwards governor of rennsylvania; ""V.
and the following letter of General Washitigton to that
olficer and Colonel Cadwalader, evinces a perfect accord
in opinion with Colonel Reed, and is an irrefragable
proof of his entire confidence in those gentlemen.

«« Camp above Trenton Falls,
23rf Dec. 1776.
** Dear Sir,

«• The bearer is sent down to know whether your plan General
was attempted last night, and if not, to inform you that ^o.^.^'^'"^'
Christmas day at night, cnc hour before day, is the time ler lo
ISxed upon for our attempt on Trenton. For Heaven's nei!|i'and
sake, keep this to yourself, as the discovery of it may Cadwal*-
prove fatal to us — ourtiumLers, sorry am I to say, being
less than I had any conception of; but necessity, dire
necessity, will, nay must, justify an attack. Prepare,
and in concert with Griffin, attack as many of their posts
as you possibly can with a prosjwct of success ; the more
we can attack at the same instant the more confusion we
shall spread, and greater good will result from it.

*<If I had not been fully convinced before of the ene-
my's designs, I have now ample testimony of theii- inten*
tions to attack Philadelphia, so soon as the ice will afford
the means of conveyance.

♦« As the colonels of the continental regiments might
kick up some dust about command, unless Cadwalader
is considered by tiiem in the light of a brigadier, which
I wish him to be, I desired General Gates, wl»o is un-
well, and applied for leave to go to Piiiladeljjhia, to
endeavour, if his health would permit him, to call and
stay two or three days at Bristol in his way.

" I shall not be particular; we could not ripcii mat-
ters for an attack, before the time mentioned in the first
part of this letter; so much out of sorts, and so much in
want of every thing are the troops under Sullivan, &c.
The letter herewith sent, forward on to Philadelphia; I

126 MEMOIRS BY '

CHAP, could wish it to be in time for the southern post's depar*
"' ture, which will be I believe by 11 o'clock to-morrow.
« I am, dear Sir,

« Your most obedient servant,
*< GO. WASHINGTON.

«< P. S. I have ordered our men to be provided with
three day's provisions ready cooked, with which and
their blankets they are to march ; for if we are success-
ful, which Heaven grant, and the circumstances favour,
we may push on. 1 shall direct every ferry and ford to
be well guarded, and not a soul suffered to pass without
an officer's going down with the permit. Do the same
with you.

« To Joseph Reed, esq. and in his absence to John Cad-
walader, esq. only, Bristol.*'

Wilkinson When I joined the troops under General Washington,
st"cia;r's ' found General St. Clair near head quarters, and re-
brigade, sumed my station of brigade major in his family, but at
General Gates's particular request, 1 obtained permission
to accompany him to Newtown, Bucks county where he
took quarters. On the 23d December he informed me
he should the next day set out for Baltimore, and press-
ed me to accompany him as far as Philadelphia. I ac-
cordingly applied to General St. Clair for leave, who ob-
served that he should " have no objection^ if he did not
think it interested my honour, at that time, to remain with
the brigade.** This was incomprehensible to me, and not
understanding it, I laid less stress upon it than I ought
to have done. I however determined to abandon all
thoughts of the ride to Philadelphia; but when I visited
Accompa- Newtown the next morning to take leave of General
rarciates " Grates, I was prevailed on to change my purpose, and we
to Phila- set out for the city the same day. On the road the Ge-
^^"'*' neral appeared much depressed in mind, and frequently
expressed the opinion, that while General Wasbingtott
was watching the enemy above Trenton, they would pri-

GENERAL WILKINSON. 1^7

vatcly construct batteaux, pass the Delaware in his rear, chap.
and tiike possession ol" Philadelphia before he was aware '"•
of the movement ; and that instead of vainly attemptint;
to stoj) Sir William Howe at the Delaware, General
Washington ought to retire to the south of the Susque-
Iiantia, and there form an armyj he said it was his in-
tention to propose this measure to Congi-css at Balti-
more, and urged me to accompany him to that place.
The proposition, after eighteen month's absence from
home, was tempting, but my duty forbade the thouglit.
It was dai'k when wc entered Front street, and it appear- Gloomy
ed as if wc had penetrated a wilderness of houses ; such a,,ce of
was the silence and stillness which prevailed, that the P'ulaJel-
dropping u( a stone would have been heard several
squares, and the hoofs of our horses resounded in all di-
rections. We alighted at the City tavern (now the Coffee
house,) where some unpleasant altercation took place be-
tween the General and several gentlemen who called on
him, and were connected with certain notables who had
recently joined the enemy. After they retired, he wrote
a letter to the commander in chief, with which he charged
me, and I took leave of him. I was on horseback early
the next morning, and reached Newtown about 2 o'clock.
On my arrival there I discovered, to my surprise, that is the
General Washington had transferred his quarters to that a^ietter
place, and had himself marched with tiie troops in that fiotn
iwighbourhood. From Colonel Harrison, the General's oatlls' to
secretary, who had been left in charge of his papers, I General
received the necessary directions, and proceeded in quest ^^^^ '"^'
of the troops, whose route was easily traced, as there was
a little snow on the ground, which was tinged here and
there witli blood from the feet of the men who wore
broken shoes. I got up with ray brigade near M*Con-
ky's ferry aboiit dusk, and inquiring for the commander
in chief, was directed to his quarters. I found him alone
with his whip in his hand, prepared to mount his horse,
which I perceived as I entered j when I presented the
letter of General Gates to him, before receiving it, he ex-

ISS

MEMOIRS BY

CHAP.
II f.

Enter-
prize
against
Trenton.

claimed with solemnity, « What a time is this to hand me
letters!" I answered that I had been charged \vith it by
General Gates. *< By General Gates ! where is he?" «I
left him this morning in Philadelphia.'* " What was he
doing there?'* "I understood him that he was on his
way to Congress." He earnestly repeated <* On his way
to Congress!" then broke the seal, and I made my bow
and joined General St. Clair on the bank of tl»c river.

Boats were in readiness, and the troops began to cross
about sunset, but the force of tlie current, the sharpness
of the fi-ost, the darkness of the night, the ice which
made during the operation, and a higii wind, rendered
the passage of the river extremely difficult; and but for
the stentorian lungs and extraordinary exertions of Co-
lonel Knox,* it could not have been effected in season to
favour the enterprize ; indeed we were too late to iiavc
succeeded against an enemy less negligent and less se-
cure, for it was 4 o'clock before the troops were formed
and put in motion, at whidi time it began to hail and
snow.

The disposition of attack was made for two columns ;
the left led by the commander in chief, who was accompa-
nied by Generals Lord Stirling, Greene, Mercer, and Ste-
vens, to make a circuit by the Pennington roadf (A) and
assaidt by King's, now Greene street (B); the right, un-
der Major-general Sullivan, which included the brigade of
St. Clair, to keep the river road by General Dickenson's
house (C) and enter the town by Water street (D). To
give time for Goieral Washington to effect his *< detour,"
that the attack might be simultaneous. General Sullivan
was ordered to halt for a few minutes at the cross road,
which leads to Howell's ferry (Fj, where he arrived
about twilight. Soon after the halt, it was discovered
by Captain John Glover of the Marblehead regiment.

♦ Afterwards Major-general Knox, and secretary of war under
President Washinglon.

j See Alliis, No. H.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 429

that the, best secured arms* of the olRccrs were wet, and chap.
nut in firing condition. The communication was made ^"
to General Sullivan in presence of General St. Clair and
the ofticcrs of their suites. Sullivan cast a look at Sin-
clair and observed, <«What is to be done?" who instant-
ly replied, *< You have nothing for it but to push on and
charge." We soon marched. Colonel Stark in command
of the advanced guard, the troops with orders to clear
their muskets as they moved on in the best manner in
their power, which occasioned a good deal of squibbing;
in tlie mean time an officer was despatched to apprise the
General of the state of our arms, who returned for an-
swer by his aid-de-camp Colonel Samuel Webb, that we
must <♦ advance and charge." It was now broad day,
and the storm beat violently in our faces ; the attack had
commenced on the left, and was immediately answered
by Colonel Stark in our front, who forced the enemy's
picket, and pressed it into the town, our column being
close at his heels. The enemy made a momentary shew
of resistance by a wild and undirected fire from the win-
dows of their quarters which they abandoned as we ad-
vanced, and made an attempt to form in the main street,
which might have succeeded but for a six gun battery
opened by Captain T. Forest,f under the immediate or-

• The platoon officers carried fusees at that time.

■j- Captain Forest commanded our artillery on that memorable oc-
casion, and followed the advance of the left column : General Wash-
ington kept near the front. As he approached the village, he in-
quired of an inhabitant, who was chopping wood by the road side,
"Which way is the Hessian picket?" *' I don't know," replied the
citizen, waiving an answer. " You may speak," said Captain Forest,
"for that is General Washington." The astonished man raised his
hands to heaven, and exclaimed " God bless and prosper yon, Sir; —
the picket is in that house, and the sentry stands near that tree."
Captain Washington immediately received an order to dislodge it
which he executed with promplltude, a/id the artillery being unlLm-
bered, the column proceeded. When Forest's battery was opened,
the General kept on the left, and advanced witii it, giving oSjccts of
direction to his fire; his position was an exposed one, and he was fre-
quently intreated to fall back, of which he took no notice : he bad
VOL. I. R

130

MEMOIRS BY

CHAP.
III.

Conduct
of Captain
Thomas
Forest,
Captain
William
Washing-
ton, and
Lieute-
nantJames
JMonroe.

Colonel
Stark's
conduct.

ders of General Washington, at the head of King's street,
which annoyed the enemy in various directions j and the
decision of Captain William Washington,* who, second-
ed hy Lieutenant James Monroe,f led the advanced guard
of the left column, perceiving that the enemy were en-
deavouring to form a battery, rushed forward, drove the
artillerists from their guns, and took two pieces in the
act of firing. These officers were both wounded in
this cliarge; the Captain in his wrist, the Lieutenant
througli the fleshy part of his shoulder. These particular
acts of gallantry liave never been noticed, and yet they
could not have been too highly appreciated, for if the ene-
my had got his artillery into operation in a narrow street,
it might have checked our movement, and given him
time to form and reflectj and if he had retired across
the bridge in his rear and taken post, he would have
placed a defile between us, which in our half naked, half
frozen condition, he ought to have defended against our
utmost efforts, and we in turn might have been compell-
ed to retreat, which would have been fatal to iis j but
while I render justice to the services of Forest, Washing-
ton and Monroe, I must not withhold due praise from the
dauntless Stark, who dealt death wherever he found re-
sistance, and broke down all opposition before him.

Pressed in front, and hearing our fire approach on their
left, a troop of dragoons, with about five hundred infan-
try, took to flight across the Assanpink, and joined Count
Donop at Bordentown; and Colonel Rahl, while exerting
himself to form his dismayed and disordered corps, being
shot from his horse, the main body retired by their right

turned the guns on the retreating enemy, when to an order for the
discharge of cannister, Captain Forest observed, " Sir; they have
struck." "Struck!" replied the General. "Yes," said Forest, "their
colours are down." *' So they are," observed the chief, and galloped
towards them, followed by Forest and his whole command, who for a
moment left their guns to see the show.

* Afterwards greatly distinguished as an ofiicer of cavalry, and
since a Brigadier-general.

t Now secretary of state.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 151

up tlic Assanpink, with the apparent inclination to escape cfiap.
to rrinccton. General Washington instantly threw the '"
brave Colonel Hand with his distinguished rifle corps in
their way (G); and the Virginia troops under those gal-
lant officers Colonels Scott and Lawson, with Josiah and
Richard Parker, having gained their left (H), after some
fluctuation in their movements, they halted, formed in
order of battle, with their front to the south (I), and order-
ed their arms, whicli after a summons from the General,
and a short pause, they agreed to surrender at discre-
tion. I had been despatched to General Washington for
orders, and rode up to him at the moment Colonel Rahl, Colonel
supported by a file of sergeants, was presenting his Hessian
sword. On my approach, tlie commander in chief took comman-
me by the hand, and observed, " Major Wilkinson, this is bounded
a glorious day for our country," his countenance beam- ""^ ni^de
ing with complacency ; whilst the unfortunate Rahl, who P^'^°"^ "
the day before would not have changed fortunes with him,
now pale, bleeding and covered with blood, in broken ac-
cents seemed to implore those attentions, which the vic-
tor was well disposed to bestow on him. How awful the
contrast; what a sad memento of the casualties of mili-
tary life. Such are tliy blessings, 0 War! — such the
glories and the golden fruits « plucked from the cannon's
mouth."

In this aff'air we lost no oflUcer, and those before men-
tioned with four men only were wounded, two were kill-
ed, and one frozen to death; our trophies were four stand
of colours, twelve drums, six brass field pieces, a thou-
sand stand of arms and accoutrements, and our prisoners
twenty-three oflicers and almost 1,000 non-commissioned
ofliccrs and privates ; Colonel Rahl and six other ofli-
cers, with about 40 men, were killed. The execution of
this enterprize, reflected high honour on General Wash-
ington, but his triumph was abridged by the failure of
two simultaneous attacks; one from Bristol under Gene-
ral Cadwalader, and the other by Trenton ferry under
General Irwing, which made a part of his plan. Those

133 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, officers employed every exertion to cross the river, but
"*■ were baffled by the ice, and in consequence the fugitives
escaped from Trenton, and Count Donop, with the de-
tachments below, was enabled to make good his retreat
to Princeton, otherwise tliese German cantonments would
have been swept.

This was a desperate undertaking, justified by the de-
plorable state of our affairs, and worthy the chief who
projected it. I have never doubted that he had resolved
to stake his life on the issue. The joy diffused through-
out the union by the successful attack against Trenton,
reanimated the timid friends of the revolution, and invi-
Public gorated the confidence of the resolute. Perils and suf-
produced ferings still in prospect, were considered tlie price of in-
by the dependence, and every faithful citizen was willing to make
of^lie ^ the sacrifice. Success had triumphed over despondency,
Hessians, ^nd the heedless, lieadlong enthusiasm, which led the
colonists to arms, had settled down into a sober sense of
their condition, and a deliberate resolution to maintain
the contest at every hazard, and under every privation.
The general impulse excited by passion was now approv-
ed by reason, and the American community began to feel
and act like a nation determined to be free.
Pennsyl- rpj^g ,j^j|itia of Philadelphia, who shewed a good coun-

vamann- "^

litia cross tenance in the worst of times, were deeply chagrined be-

the Dela- (.^use they could not co-operate with the continental
ware. "* ^

troops on the 26th December, but being elated by our

success, they became impatient for action, and crossed
Dec. 27. the Delaware near Bristol, to the number of 1,800, under
Brigadier-general Cadwalader, and took post at Cross-
wick's ; whilst a similar number, drawn by General
Mifflin from the city and adjacent counties, crossed at
various places, and rendezvoused at Bordentown about
the same time. At this eventful epoch the masterly judg-
General ment of General Washington seems to have been hceruiled

Washing- .

ton's se- l>y l^^s good fortune, or the panic of the enemy after the
coiid affair of Tienton j for we find him again preparing* to

* See his letter to the President of Congress, Dae. 29,

Reflec-
tions on

GENERAL WILKINSON. 133

rross the Delaware to « pursue the enemy in his retreat; chap.
try to break up more of their quarters; and in a word, '"
in every instance adopt such measures as the exigency ^^^^^.^^ ^
of our affairs require, and our situation will justify." of the Dc-
The original dispositions of this distinguished chief were ^^"^^
certainly infected by a chivalrous spirit, which however
corrected by self denial, however qualified by prudence
and circumspection, displayed itself in this case; else he
would hardly, without any very material change in their
physical force, have ventured to advance on the enemy be-
fore whom he had so recently retreated, and placed a
large river in his rear, which was daily expected to be
rendered impassable by the ice. By this step he threw
himself into a "cwi dc sac,'* with a corps numerically in-
ferior to that of the enemy in his front, and in point of
equipment and efficiency, with all the disadvantages of
militia opposed to the veteran troops of Europe in cam-
jjaign; yet under the guidance and protection of that
God in whom he placed his trust, he extricated himself
from this desperate situation, by converting his fault into
a " ruse de guerre," which dismayed and disheartened
the enemy, and suddenly deprived them of all their ac-
quisitions south of Brunswick,

Pursuant to his resolution. General Washington on
Monday morning the 30th of December, 1776, again
crossed the Delaware, and took post at Trenton; but
owing to the drifting ice, the passage of the river had
become extremely difficult and fatiguing, and the rear of
the troops did not join him before the next evening. In Dec. 31.
the course of that day. Colonel Joseph Reed, with a re- cobnel
connoitring party of twelve dragoons, was sent out to Joseph
inquire for the enemy, of whom General Washington had f squad"o1"
no certain advice; and being well acquainted with the drasfoons
country, he surpi'ised a commissary and foraging party, phnadel-
consisting precisely of equal numbers, whom he charged P>»'^ ^st
and made prisoners without the loss of a man, and after ^°°^'
a few hoiu-'s absence, returned with every trooper his pri-
soner behind him. This little act of decisive gallantry,
performed by independent gentlemen, tended to increase

134 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, the confidence of the troops, and certainly reflected high
honour on the small detachment,* which had been taken
from the patriotic oldjirst troop of Philadelphia, then com-
manded by that respectable citizen soldier Captain Sa-
muel Morris. From that period the effect of the esprit
du corps has been manifest in this troop, and it will never
lose its merited superiority so long as it is composed of
the flower of the first city of the union, and receives
the orders of such a manly, honourable, ardent soldier as
Captain Charles Ross, whose exact discipline, prompti-
tude and vi.^ilance in the late war, supported the ancient
repute of the troop, and although unnoticed, give him
and the gentlemen of his command strong claims to public
distinction.
General The information received from the prisoners, separate-
ton's enf- ^y examined, left no doubt of the enemy\s superiority,
barrass. and his intention to advance upon ws, which would put
resolu-^" General Washington in a critical situation. To make a
tion. safe retreat was impracticable, should the enemy act with

energy^ and if it could be effected at all, it would depre-
ciate the influence of antecedent successes, and check the
rising spirit of the community; on the other hand to give
battle under the circumstances of the manifest inequality
which existed, would be to hazard tlie annihilation of the
Grand Army, an event the most dangerous of all to the
public cause; in this awful conjuncture the resolution
adopted was the most acceptable to the feelings of a
soldier. Brigadier-generals Mifflin and Cadwalader were
ordered to join the General, and he determined to pro-
crastinate the combat, until night if practicable, but to
take post in A, A, A, behind the Assanpink,f a creek
which divided the small village of Trenton ; to wait
the enemy's advance, and avail himself of circum-

* Tliis detachment consisted of 2d Lieut. James Sudden, Comet
John Dunlap, Thomas Leiper, 1st sergt., Samuel Howell, jun. 1st cor-
poral, James Hunter, 2d corporal, George Campbell, John Donnald-
soii, Thomas Peters, "WilHam Pollard, Samuel Caldwell, Benjamin
Randolph, John Lardner.

t See Alias, No. IH.

GENERAL WIT.TaNSON. 119

stances; that is, to fight and die, if he could not conquer chap.
or extricate himscH" with honour. When the resolution '"•
was taken to order up Mifflin and Cadwaladcr, a heavy j,^^ j
detachment under Brigadier-general de Roche Fcrinoy* Position of
consisting of six pieces of artillery under Captain T. armies,
Forest, Hand's riflemen, a Virginia corps under Colo-
nel Charles Scott,f and the German battalion of Haus-
scgger,:|: was ordered forward, and took post at the Five
Mile run, B, on the old road, pushing its picket to the
village of Maidenhead, C, whilst the main body of the
enemy were assembled in Princeton, with its advanced
guard at Cochran's, D, and its patroles in motion as far
as the Eight Mile run. Such was the position of the two
armies on the night of the 1st of January, 1777. Great
exertions had been made the preceding evening to induce
the continental troops, whose term of service expired at
12 o'clock, P. M. to remain with the General, and stick
by the cause of the country ; the men were addressed by and com-
companies, regiments, brigades and divisions, and finally P^""^^"*^
after all the persuasive arts were exhausted, 1,200, or
1,400 consented to engage for an additional six weeks on
the receipt often dollars bounty; this was, of necessity,
conceded by the General, whose whole force then consist-
ed of this number of continental troops, engaged for six
weeks, and 3,500 or 600 Pennsylvania volunteer mili-
tia; that of the enemy was estimated at 8,000 comba-
tants, artillery, dragoons, and infantry duly proportion-
ed: how dreadful the odds, how eventful the succeeding
day, on which the fate of General Washington, and his
army, might have been decided, but for the obstinate re-
sistance of a handful of brave men, and the workings of
Heaven in the breast of Lord Cornwallis.

* This man, like De Woedtke, turned out a worthless drunkard,
although he wore tlie croix de St. Louis.

f .\fter\vards Brigadier-general and late governor of Kentucky.

+ Who did not acquit himself with reputation, and was afterwards
cashiered.

136 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. Major Henry Miller* of the rifle corps, had charge of
^"' the guards of our advance, on the night of the first, and
about 12 o'clock, in returning from the rear to the front,
he met General Fermoy on his way to Trenton; the
enemy were in motion early on the 2d, and about sunrise
a mounted yager, belonging to the advanced patrole, in
pursuit of a citizen of the name of Hunt,f ran in upon our
picket at Maidenhead, and was shot from his horse. On
hearing this shot, the advanced party at Five Mile run,
stood to their arms, but missing the General, some em-
barrassment ensued, which was soon removed by Major
Gallantry Miller, and Colonel Hand took the command of the
Hand °"^ troops, and retired leisurely before the enemy, until or-
and Major ders were received from the commander in chief, to dis-
the rifle P^^e every inch of the ground where practicable; Colonel
corps. Hand then faced about, and advanced to meet the enemy,
when a skirmish commenced, that was continued at inter-

* General Miller, late of Baltimore, who was distinguished for his
cool bravery wherever he served, and certainly possessed the entire
confidence of General Washington,

f Extract of a letter from a. respectable inhabitant, dated Lawrence-
fille, August 22d, 1^16:^

" On the 2d of January, 1777, the British army advanced from
Princeton, preceded by mounted Hessian yagers, who fell in with
Elias Hunt, about three-fourths of a mile in advance of the American
picket, who was posted opposite' the church in Maidenhead (now
Lawrence), in his private dwelling house, his family having previous-
ly deserted it. Hunt was mounted, and pursued by a party of horse
in full speed till he had passed the guard, one of which was in ad-
vance of the rest with his sword ready to make the blow, when the
guard fired and wounded him, but he did not fall from his horse. At
this time a bugle sounded in the rear, and he attempted to return,
but a second fire killed the horse and rider : this happened about
11 o'clock, A. M, Howe's army continued to advance till they came
to what is called the Five Mile run, where a guard was also stationed,
and some skirmishing ensued with Colonel Hand's riflemen, who then
retreated, and made a stand on the south side of Shabbakong creek,
in a wood on both sides of the road, and continued to annoy the Bri-
tish army, until they arrived within a mile of Trenton. The British
army did not quarter or encamp with us ; they performed the march
between sun and sun on the same dav."

GENERAL WILKINSON. 137

Yals tlirouglioiit the day, in wliich Colonel Hand'H riHc- CHAP,
men and Captain Forest's artillery Nvcrc particularly '"
distinguished. The right hank of the rividet of Shahha-
kong was at that period covered with a close wood a mile
in depth, uliilst the ojjpositc side presented open fields;
Colonel Hand, who hr«)iigl»t up the rear w ith his riflemen,
determined to waste as much time as possible for the ene-
my at this point; he accordingly secreted his men some
distance within the wood, e, c,* on the flanks of the road,
posting Major Miller on the left, and in person taking
command on the right: in tliis position he waited for
the flank and advanced guards of the enemy, until they
came within point blank shot, and then he opened a
deadly fire from his ambush, which broke and forced
them hack in great confusion on the main body, close-
ly pursued by the riflemen. Tlie boldness of this ma-
noeuvre menacing a general attack, induced the ene-
my to form in order of battle, d, d, to bring up his
artillery, and open a battery with which he scoured the
wood for half an hour before he entered it : this ope-
ration consumed two hours, during which time the rifle
corps took breath, and were ready to renew the skir-
mish. The brigade of General St. Clair, with two pieces Position
of artillery, I think under Captain Sergeant,f were as- ciair's
signed to the defence of the fords of the Assanpink, b'iffade
b, b, b, b, on the riglit of our line: the enemy's flankers Trenton.
reconnoitretl those fords, but finding them guarded, join-
ed their main body: my station gave me a fair view of
the left flaidc of the enemy's column, after it had passed
the wood from Shabbakong, and wheeled to their right
on the margin of the high ground, E, which leads to
Trenton. About half a mile advanced from the northern
extremity of the buildings of this place, on the old road
to Princeton, there is a ravine, F, which crosses the
road at right angles, and descends to the plain of As-
sanpink ; on the south-western verge of this hollow^ our
advanced party made their last stand, in which the Vir-

• See Atlas, No. IV.

f Since governor of the Mississippi territwry.
VOL. I. S

i^ MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, ginia ti'oops, under Colonels Scott and Lawson and Ma-

'"■ joi's Josiah and Richard Parker, with Forest and his

field pieces, distinguished themselves.

Skirmish rpj^^, hattery, covered by about six hundred men, open-
near iren- ^ «
ton de- ed on the column of the enemy, and was presently an-

Bcnbed. g^ycred by a counter-battery ; the cannonade continued
twenty or twenty-five minutes, when the British column
was partially displayed, and advanced in line: the firing
of the musketry was soon mingled with that of the artil-
lery, but the enemy preserved his front, and being of
threefold numbers, continued to advance until he forced
our corps to retire by the bridge across the Assanpink.
I had a fair flank view of this little combat from the op-
posite side of the Assanpink, and recollect perfectly the
sun had set, and the evening was so far advanced, tl»at
I could distinguish the flame from the muzzles of our
muskets. Anterior to this skirmish. General Washing-
ton, who stood fairly committed to a general action, if
the enemy had pressed it, feeling how important it was^
to retard the march of the enemy until nightfuH.. rode
up to the advanced party with Generals Greene and
Knox, thanked the detat Imient, and particularly the ar-
tillery, for the services of the day, gave orders for as ob-
stinate a stand as could be made on tliat ground, without
hazarding the pieces, and retired to marshal his troops
for action, behind the Assanpink.
Jan. 2. After forcing our advanced party, the enemy took post

of the two *" ®"^' front, at about 1000 yards distance, with the inter-
armies at vention of the village ("now city) of Trenton, and the As-
sani)ink creek, which was every where fordable below tlm
mill : a cannonade ensued between the tw^o armies with
little effect, during which Lord Cornwallis displayed his
columns, and extended his lines, g, g, g, g, to the west-
ward, on the heights above the town. If there ever was
a crisis in the affairs of the revolution, this was the n»o-
ment; thirty minutes would have sufficed to bring the
two armies into contact, and thirty more would have de-
cided the combat ; and, covered with wo, Columbia might
liave wept the loss of her beloved diief and most valorous

GENERAL WILKINSON. 139

Song. In this awful moment, the guardian angel of CHAP.
our country admonished Lord Cornvvallis, that his own "*"
troops were fatigued, and tliat the Americans were with- ppf^pos;.
out retreat; and under this impression, he addressed his tionot
l^cneral officers, « l/ie men had been under arms the whole cornwallis
datj; they were languid and required rest; he liad the ene- answered
mtj safe enough, and could dispose of them the next morn- ^vmiam
ing ; for these reasons he proposed that the troops should Erskitre.-
make fires, refresh themselves, and take repose." General
Grant, his second, acquiesced, and others followed, but
Sir William Erskinc exclaimed, « My Lord, if you trust
those people to-night, you will see nothing of tliem in the
morning." This admonition was not regarded, and the
enemy made their fires and went to supper, as we did
also, our advanced sentries being posted within 150
yards of each other. Between this situation of the ar-
mies of General AVashiiigton and Lord Cornwallis on
the 2d of January, and those of General Burgoyne and
General Gates on the 20th of September following, a
striking analogy is perceptible in the most important in-
cidents, and we discover in the events by what trivial cir-
cumstances the destinies of armies and of states are con-
trouled.

If General Washington by a false step, from which
mortal man is not exempt, had committed himself to an
almost hopeless condition, the dispositions he adopted to
harass and retard the advance of the enemy, were the
most sagacious his situation admitted; and the zealous,
active, courageous agents of his w ill, on the 2d of Ja-
nuary, 1777, should be distinguished by grateful recollec-
tions and the public favour. Of those revolutionary wor-
thies known to the writer. Hand, Scott, Lawson, Josiah
and Richard Parker, and David Harris of Baltimore, re-
pose in the grave, but Miller, and Forest, and Hamilton,
still live.

Immediately after dark, a council of war was con-
vened at General St. Clair's quartei*s, south of the creek,
and, if memory serves me, in the house of a Miss Dag-
worthy, for General Washington had been driven out of

140

MEMOIRS BY

CHAP.
111.

Council
of war,
and va-
rious opi-
fiiuns.

Proposi-
tion of
General
St. Clair
adopted.

his own quarters by the enemy. It inny be proper to re-
mark, that what follows with respect to the council ol'
war, I received froui General St. Clair, to whose person
1 was attached.

General Washington, encompassed as he was by dan-
gers, had but a brief statement to submit to his council;
the situation of the two armies were known to all ; a
battle was certain, if he kept his ground until the morn-
ing, and in case of an action a defeat was to be appre-
hended j a retreat by the only route thought of, down the
river, would be dillicult and precarious,* the loss of the
corps he commanded might be fatal to the country: un-
der these circumstances he asked advice — opinions were
various — some inclined to retreat, others to hazard all
on a general engagement, and it has been suggested to
me, that the commander in chief, yielding to his natural
propensities, favoured the latter proposition.

I have before observed that General St. Clair had
been charged with the guard of the fords of the Assan-
pink, and in the course of the day whilst examining the
ground to his right, he had fallen on the road which led
to the Quaker bridge ; whether from this circumstance,
or what other information I will not presunie to say, it was
this officer who in council suggested the idea of marching
by our right and turning the left of the enemy; the practi-
cability of the route was well understood by Colonel Reed,
adjutant-general; and the commander in chief, as soon as
satisfied on this point, adopted the proposition; and the
more effectually to mask the movement, he ordered the
guards to be doubled, a strong fatigue party to be set to
work on an intrcnchment across tiic road near tiie mill,
within distinct hearing of the sentinels of the enemy, the
baggage to be sent to Burlington, tlie troops to be silent-
ly filed off by detachments, and the neighbouring fences
to be used for fuel to our guards, to keep up blazing
lires until toward day, when they had orders to retire.

The night, although cloudless, was exceedingly dark,
and though calm most severely cold, and the movement
was so cautiously conducted as to elude the vigilance of

GENERAL WILKINSON. 141

the enemy. Lieutciiant-colonel Slici'man led the advanced cnAi'.
guard, and tlie brigade «»{" St. Clair, with two six [toun- '"'
ders, I'ollowed, which placed mc at the head of the co- ^,,r|,t
lumn near General Washington. I have recently exa- niarch to
mined the route of tliis night's march, and witli the as- left flank
sistancc of several contemporaries have given it the "' ^'"^

enemy -
direction of G, G, G, G,* which brought us to a small

wood, A,t south of a Quaker meetings B, on the left of
Stoney brook, a little before sunrise, where the main co-
lumn wheeled to the right, and turning the south-east
corner of the wood, marched directly for Princeton,
b, b, b, b, whilst General Mercer, accompanied by seve- General
ral volunteers, with a detachment consisting of the frag- **ercer,
ments of Smallwood's regiment, commanded by Captain command
Stonc4 the first Virginia regiment commanded by Cap- and move-
tain Fleming, and two field pieces under Captain Neal,
and probably other corps whicli I do not recollect, hut in
the whole certainly not exceeding 350 men, marched im-
mediately up Stoney brook, f, as I was informed at the
time, to take possession of the bridge, g, for the double
purpose of intercepting fugitives from Princeton, and to
cover our rear against Lord Cornwallis from Trenton.
The morning was bright, serene, and extremely cold, with
an hoar frost which bespangled every object. A brigade of
the enemy, commanded by Lieutenant-colonel Mawhood,
consisting of the 17th, 40th, and 55th regiments, with
three troops of dragoons, had quartered in Princeton^ the
preceding night; the 17th had marched to join Lord
Cornwallis, and its front had reached Cochran's on the
hill, at d, whilst the head of our column had gained the
point, h, when casting my eyes towards the Trenton

• See Atlas, No. V.

f See Atlas, No. VI.

^ Afterwards governor of Maryland.

§ I have always been staggered as to the fact of a British brigade
having halted at Maidenhead, the niglit of the 2d of January, when
Lord Cornwallis lay at Trenton, only six miles distant, with ihe inten-
tion to engagt; the next morning; yet it is so recorded in British and
American history, though the inhabitants of that village now deny
the assertion.

143

MEMOIRS BY

CHAP.
III.

The ene-
my disco-
vered.

Turn8
about to
give us
battle.

Position
of Mercer
and Maw-
hood.

A brief
sketch of
the affair
of Prince-
ton.

road, I discerned the enemy, by the reflection of theif
arms against the rising sun, ascending the hill in the
wood near Cochran's ; and perceiving Colonel R. Harri-
son, the General's secretary, near me, [ called him, and
was about to shew him the spectacle which had caught
my eyes, when it suddenly disappeared, and two horse-
men leaped a fence, and advanced to a, a, reconnoitred
us a minute or two, and returned to the road, soon after
which we observed the line come to the right about and
descend tlie hill in quick time. When Colonel Mawhood,
who commanded the 17th regiment, discovered the head
of our column at h, he did not perceive General Mercer,
who was marching up the creek near its left bank, and
taking us for some light party, as the ground concealed
our numbers, lie determined to retrograde and cut us up;
nor had General Mercer any suspicion of the proximity
of Mawhood's corps, until he recrossed Stoney brook,
when a mutual discovery was made at less than 500
yards distance, and the respective corps then endeavour-
ed to get possession of the high ground on their right.
The Americans marching by c, c, reached the house and
orchard of William Clark, 5, 5, but perceiving the Bri-
tish line advancing on the opposite side of the height, and
a worm fence between them, they pushed through the or-
chard, and anticipated their antagonists by about forty
paces.* The two lines are represented by 1, 2, and 3, 4;
the Americans covered by the fence, the British in air,
their left bearing on a large chesnut tree, then in vigour,
now represented by the remains of a stump on the north-
west edge of the turnpike,f about half a mile north of
Stoney brook, their right extending obliquely from the
turnpike to a small knoll, on which a solitary oak is now
standing, covered by two field pieces. The first fire was
delivered by General Mercer, which the enemy returned
with a volley, and instantly charged j and many of our

* I have measured the ground.

j- This road cuts the position of the American line obliquely about
the centre.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 113

men being armfd with rifles, tliey were forced after tlio ciiAP.
third round to abandon tlic fence, and fled in disorder. '"

The head of our column had now arrived at D, and al-
though my view of the combatants engaged in this short,
sharp, close rencontre was obstructed by a swell in the
ground, tlic retreat of tlic Americans by William Clark's
house and barn, 5, 6, was under my eyes, and I noted
it to General St. Clair, who charged me not to mcntioa
the circumstance, lest it should affect our own troops. The
time from the discharge of the first musket, until I per-
ceived our troops retreating, did not exceed five minutes,
and I well recollect that the smoke from the discharge of
the two lines mingled as it rose, and went up in one beau<
tiful cloud. On hearing the fire, General Washington
directed the Pennsylvania militia to support General
Mercer, and in pei-son led them on with two pieces of
artillery, under Captain William Moulder of the city of
Philadelphia, who formed in battery on the right of Tho-
mas Clark's house, 7 ; the enemy pursued the detachment
of General Mercer as far as the brow of the declivity,
o, o, o, o, when discovering our whole army, instead of
a partisan corps, they halted and brought up their artil-
lery ; and being encouraged by the irresolution of the
militia, notwithstanding the exertions of the commander
in chief, and their immediate officers to press them for-
ward, they attempted with a company of infantry to carry
Captain Moulder's battery,* but being galled by his
grape, and perceiving Hitchcock's and another continen-
tal regiment break off and advance from the rear of our
column, after a few long shot with the militia, they re-
treated precipitately, leaving their artillery on the
ground, which for want of horses we could not carry off.
In this place I must be permitted to state a fact in cont-
tradiction of every historical account I have seen : — Be-

* This company of militia artillery from Philadelphia was almost
as much distinguished in its line, as the troop of dragoons, and on
this day attracted the particular attention of General Washington ;
that honest man and good citizen, Colonel William Linnard, of Phi-
ladelphia, was » (Bubaltcra of the company, and stood by one of the
piec*^.

144) MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, fore (he fire had ceased at the first onset, Liculcnant-
*"■ colonel Mawliood, mounted on a brown poney, with ten
Conduct "^ twelve file of infantry, and a pair of springing spa-
of Lt. Col. niels playing before him, crossed our line of direction,
Mawliood. ^jjg ^^^ being in a trot, at s, s, so near, that if our ad-
vanced guard had not unwarrantably halted, he must
liave been intercepted or driven from his course; on ob-
serving the halt of our guard, General St. Clair directed
me to gallop forward and order a charge, but it was too
late, as Mawhood had passed, yet the fire of the guard
knocked down two of his party.
The 17th That this affair fell on the 17th regiment, I am satis-
onfv'en-^ fied from my own observation, which is supported by the
gaged. Annual Register of 1777,* however incorrect in other
particulars ; the 55th regiment had advanced no further
than the small wood, C, wiien the action terminated, and
they returned and joined the 40th left in quarters at the
Formation College; these corps then advanced and took the posi-
and re- tion, K, detaching a heavy platoon to C, which induced
the 40th the American continental troops to display in i, i, the in-

and 55th termcdiate ravine, the head of which is crossed by the

regiments.

present turnpike, is somewhat deep and steep; two re-
giments were ordered to attack, and had crossed the ra-
vine and were ascending the opposite side within sixty or
80 yards of the enemy, who were still concealed from
our view by the acclivity, when they turned about and
precipitated themselves into the college, the windows of
which were immediately knocked out, and we expected
warm work ; but before we got within a quarter of a
mile, they rushed out at the front and retreated by files
in t, t, t, t, crossed Millstone at Rocky hill, and made
good their escape to Brunswick; they made so long a
trail and moved in such loose disorder, that two troops
of dragoons would have picked up the two regiments ;
unfortunately our whole cavalry consisted of twenty-two
of the Philadelphia 1st troop, who were actively engaged
in another quarter; there was but one gun fired at the

* See pages 18 and 19.

GENERAL WILKINSON. i4S

collcj^c, and tliis from a six pounder, by an ofllcor who chap.

Tvas not advised llic enemy had abandoned it ; tbc ball '"

recoiled, and very nearly killed my horse as I was pass-

ins; in rear of tbc building.

At tbc time General Mercer cncraered the irth rceri- ^"""^"ct

ment, Colonel Hand endeavoured, by a rapid movement, Hand, and

to turn tbe enemy's left Hank, and had nearly succeed- '■^^''<-*''^ "^
*' •' the ene-

ed wlicn tbey fled in disorder, not toward Maidenhead, my.
as is stated by all the historians, but up the nortli side of
Stoney brook, over fields and fences, without regard to
roads, and inclining towards Pennington;* the riflemen
were therefore the first in the pursuit, and in fact took
the greatest part of the prisoners ; they were accompa-
nied by General Washington in person, with a squad ol"
the Pbiladelpbia troop, among whom Mr John Donald-
son distinguished himself in an eminent degree: in the
ardour of the pursuit he had separated himsejf from the
troop, and as the infantry could not keep up, he found
himself alone and liable to be shot by any straggler of
the enemy who would not surrender; yet unwilling to
slacken his pace, he mounted a Lieutenant Simpson be-
hind him, who whenever a fugitive threatened to be refrac-
tory, jumped off and shot him, and in this manner three
men, whilst taking aim at Mr. Donaldson, were knocked
down and his life saved, but he made a score of prison-
ers, whom he sent to his rear after disarming them.— ■
Simpson was afterwards a captain, and I saw him at his
seat on the Susquehanna in the year 1796. It was on
this occasion the late David Harris, esq. of Baltimore^
who was a captain of riflemen, informed me that the Gcr
neral, whilst encouraging the pursuit, exclaimed « It is
a fine fox chase, my boys.'" — Such was the impetuosity of

• Fop tliis fact I will refer to General Washington's letter of the
5lh of January, who says, ** they were chased three or four miles,
and that the enemy from Alaidenhcad was up with us before ihe pur-
suit was over," and also to Mr. John Donaldson of Philadelphia, and
to General Henry Miller, now residing in the forks of Juniata and the
gusquehanna, who w»s on that day major of Hand's riflemen.

VOL. I. T

/

^^Q MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, the man's character, when he gave reins to his sensi-

"^- hilities.
"'"^'^'^^ I„ this affair our numerical loss was inconsulcrabie—
fuThe'' it did not exceed thirty; fourteen only were buried in
action of ^j^^ ^^jj .^ jjy^ jt ^yj^g of great magnitude in worth and
Princeton. ^^^^^^^ ^^ ^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^^ p^^^^^,^ ^^.^^ ^I^^^.j^^ ^„d

Captain William Sluppen were respected in their grades ;
Captains Fleming and Neal presented fair promises of
professional excellence; but in General Mcrcerf wc lost

• I had this fact lately from Joseph Clark, son of William, whose
house still bears the marks of the enemy's shot, the lowest of which
is eight or ten feet from the ground ; his barn shews the mark of a
cannon shot twenty feet from the ground.

t On the night of the 1st of January, General Mercer, Colonel C.
Biddle, and Doctor Cochran, spent the evening with General St.
Clair. Fatigued with the duties of the day, I had lain down in the
same apartment, and my attention was attracted by the turn of their
conversation, on the recent promotion of Captain William Washmg-
ton, from a regiment of infantry to a majority of cavalry. General
Mercer expressed his disapprobation of the measure; at which the
gentlemen appeared surprised, as it was the reward of acknowledged
gallantry ; and Mercer, in explanation, observed : "We are not en-
gaged in a war of ambition ; if it had been so, I should never have ac-
cepted a commission under a man who had not seen a day's service
(alluding to the great orator, and distinguished patriot, Patrick
Henry) ; we serve not for ourselves but for our country, and every
man should be content to fill the place in which he can be most use-
ful. I know Washington to be a good captain of infantry, but I know
not what sort of a major of horse he may make ; and 1 have seen good
captains make indifferent majors : for my own part, my views in this
contest are confined to a single object, that is, the success of the
cause, and God can witness how cheerfully 1 would lay down my life
to secure it." The compact was sealed, and within thirty-six hours
he received his mortal wounds from the bayonets of the enemy.

General Mercer, a Scotchman by birth, was a physician by profes-
Bion, and I have heard the following interesting incident of his life :
He served in the campaign of 1755, with General Braddock, and was
wounded through the shoulder in the unfortunate action near Fort du
Quesne ; unable to retreat, he lay down under cover of a large fallen
tree, and in the pursuit, an Indian leaped upon his covert immediate-
ly over him, and after looking about a few seconds for the direction
of the fugitives, he sprang off without observing the wounded man
Who lay at his feet. So soon a^ the Indians had killed the wounded.

GENERAI^ AVILKJNSQN. i4^

a chief, who for education, experience, talents, disposi- CIIAP.
lion, integrity and patriotism, was second to no man but
the commander in chief, and was qualified to fill the character
highest trusts of the country. The manner in which he <>t General

^Icrc^r#
was wounded, is an evidence of the excess to which the

common soldiery are liable in the heat of action, particu-
larly when irritated by the loss of favourite officers j being
obstructed when advancing by a post and rail fence, in
front of the orchard, it may be presumed the General
dismounted voluntarily, for he was on foot* when the
troops gave wayj in exerting himself to rally them he
was thrown into the rear, and perceiving he could not
escape, he turned about somewhere near William Clark's
barn, 6, and surrendered, but was instantly knocked Surren-
down, and bayoneted thirteen times, when feigning to be enemy/ ^'^
dead, one of his murderci*s exclaimed, " Damn him he is and is
dead, let us leave him." After the retreat of tlie enemy, ed!°"*
he was conveyed to the house of Thomas Clark, 7, to
whom he gave this account, and languished until the 12th,
when he expired.f

The loss of the enemy w-as much more considerable in i^ossoftlre
point of numbers, and Captain Leslie's death appeared ^"*"^*
to afflict the prisoners very sensibly. At their instance
his body was conveyed to Pluckamin, and was there in-
terred with the honours of war j on which occasion it
was remarked, that many of the men, and particularly

scalped the dead, rifled the bagg.ige, and cleared the field, the un-
fortunate Mercer, finding himself exceedingly faint and thirsty, from
loss of blood, crawled to an adjacent brook, and after drinking plen-
tifully, found himself so much refreshed, that he was able to walk,
and commenced his return by the road the army had advanced ; but
being without subsistence, and more than an hundred miles from any
Christian settlement, he expected to die of famine, when he observed
a rattlesnake on his path, which he killed and contrived to skin, and
throwing it over his sound shoulder, he subsisted ofi it as the claims
of nature urged until he reached Fort Cumberland on the Potowmack.

• Joseph Clark informs me that his horse was observed after the
miction, with a fore leg broken by a shot.

\ I had this account recently from Joseph Clark, who occupies the
ftcld of battle, and is nephew to Thoma?.

US MEMOUiS BY

CHAP, those of his company, wept hitterly. We conductefl nine
*'^" officers and about two humlred and thirty non-commis-
sioned officers and privates to tlie same phice, and about
fifty more were captured and marched into Pennsylvania.
In fact, the 17th regiment was dismembered, and the
40th and 55th sufFered considerably by desertion and
other casualties ; the dragoons escaped to Trenton soon
after we were discovered.

When the troops were assembled in Princeton, the ab-
sence of the General, who had been led away some dis-
tance in tiie pursuit of the fugitives, excited strong emo-
tions of alarm for his safety, wliich he soon relieved by
bis presence. We found in the town some shoes and
blankets, which were very opportune, and for my own
part, I made a most seasonable acquisition in a break-
fast at the provost's house, which had been prepared
for a mess of the 40th regiment, who the steward in-
formed me were sitting down as the lire commenced.
Before we got clear of the town, our rear guard at
Stoney brook under Brigadier-general Potter of the mi-
litia of Pennsylvania, was exchanging shot with the ene-
my from Trenton, and Captain Forest with his artillery
was again engaged in covering our retreat.

Pressed as we were for time, it was the desire of the
commander in chief, and the inclination of every officer,
to make a stroke at Brunswick, which had been left with
a small gariison, in charge of General Matthews^ but
our physical force could not bear us out j the men had
been under arms eigliteen hours, and had sufFered mucli
from cold an<l hunger. The commander and several ge-
neral officers halted at the forks of the road in Kingston,
wiiilst our troops were filing off to Rocky hill, when the
exclamation was general, *« O that we had 500 fresh men
to beat up their quarters at Brunswick." But the mea-
sure was found to be impracticable, and therefore we pro-
Thcarmy cceded down INIillstone river, and halted at Somerset
Somerset court-house, where many of the militia, whose baggage
couru had been sent to Burlington, lay in the open air without
House. blankets. We marched the next day to Pluckamin, and

General Wilkinson. iiy

halted until the 5th. It had been previously determined chap.
hy the General, on the advice of General St. Clair,* '"
after the plan of visiting Brunswick had been aban-
doned, to take quarters at JMorristown ; but the troops
>vere so much exhausted, that they required a short res-
pite from fatigue. I think it was on the 5th, during our
halt at Pluckamin, that General Washington made a pre-
text for sending a flag to Brunswick, of which his aid de
camp, Colonel Fitzgerald, was the bearer : he was cour-
teously received, and introduced to most of the general
oflicci's, who spoke freely of the trick General Washing-
ton had played them, and the race they had run, as they
had made a forced march from Trenton to Brunswick —
such was their alarm for the safety of their magazine. I
ascribe to that visit, though with diffidence, the report of
Sir William Erskine's having objected to Lord Cornwal-
lis's jmstponement of his attack at Trenton, the evening
of the 2d; indeed if my recollection does not deceive me,
when on hearing the firing in the morning. Lord Corn-
wallis inquired what it could be, Erskine replied, " My
Lord, it is ^^'ashington at Princeton." The recital of
Captain Leslie's death, and the respect with which his
body had been treated, affected General Leslie so sensi-
bly, that he retired to a window and shed tears; and
when Colonel Fitzgeral returned, he sent his acknow-
ledgments to General Washington.

We reached Morristown the sixth, and the troops Reaches
were cantoned in the vicinity. This position, little un- fow"'ai\<l
derstood at the time, was afterwards discovered to be goes into
a most safe one for the winter quarters of an army of 'l"^''^'^'
observation, and such was General Washington's ; the Advan-
approach to it fiom the sea-board is rendered difficult ^^&^ °^.
and dangerous by a chain of sharp hills, which extend Uon.
from Pluckamin by Bound brook and Springfield to the
vicinity of the Passaic river; it is situate in the heart of
a country abounding with forage and provisions, and is
nearly equidistant from New Y^ork and Amboy, and also

* He was the only general officer acquainted wilK that quarter ot
the countrv.

i50 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, from Newark and New Brunswick, with defiles in rea?
'" to cover a retreat should circumstances render it neces-
sary.

Before I close this chapter, I must be permitted to offer
a tribute of justice to conspicuous worth. At a time when
gloom pervaded the land, and hope had almost yielded to
despair, it should never be forgotten that Captain Samuel
Morris, with twenty-one gentlemen of Philadelphia, most
of them with families, and all of them in independent
circumstances, did in an inclement season, take leave
of their domestic happiness and personal comforts, to
rally around the standard of their country, and furnish-
ed an example, as rare as it was disinterested and pa-
triotic. The following testimonial of General Washing-
ton is paramount to all praise, and I am apprehensive
that any eulogium of mine, under all the circumstances^
might incur the charge of presumption.

Discharge from General Washington.

"The Philadelphia troop of light horse, under the
command of Captain Morris, having performed their
tour of duty, I take this opportunity of returning my
most sincere thanks to the Captain and to the gentlemen
who compose the troop, for the many essential services
v/hich they have rendered their country, and to me per-
sonally, during the course of this severe campaign.
Though composed of gentlemen of fortune, they have
shewn a noble example of discipline and subordination,
and in several actions have manifested a spirit and bra-
very which will ever do honour to them, and will ever be
gratefully remembered by me.

« GO. WASHINGTON.
*( H. quarter Sf Jlorristoivn, Jan, Q5d, ±777,^*

But it ought to be known, that the military merits and
patriotism of the 1st troop of Philadelphia dragoons have
been crowned by an act of liberality and benevolence,
worthy of record in letters of gold. Having disbursed

GENERAL WILKINSON. iJJl

their own expenses during the war, at the return of chap.
peace, and on a final adjustment of their claims against "^
the government for their services, they vested the amount ^^^^^
in 16 shares of the capital stock of the bank of Pennsylva-
nia, which they conveyed to the contributors of the Penn-
syhania hospital, for the benefit of a lying-in and found-
ling hospital, and the donation is distinguished on the books
of the institution, as mhefund bestowed by the first troop
oj Philadelphia cavalry to the lying-in and foundling hos-
pital." Thus the earnings of valour were bequeathed to
the unfortunate victims of passion, and tiie hand of the
patriot s(4dier contributed its mite, to the consolation of
tlie sex which gave Itim life and cherished his infancy.
The names of the twenty-two who lay on the bordei-a o£
the enemy, and served under General Washington du-
ring an inclement season^ as couriers^ guards^ patroles
and videttesy were,

Samuel Morris, captain John Donaldson

James Budden, 2d lieut. Thomas Peters

John Dunlap, cornet William Pollard

Thomas Leiper, 1st sergt. James Caldwell

William Hall, 2d do. William Tod

Samuel Howell, jr. 1st corp. Samuel Caldwell

James Hunter, 2d do. John Lardner

Levi Hollingsworth Alexander Nesbet

George Campbell Thomas Learning

John Mease Jonathan Penrose

Blair M*CIenachan George Graff.

15S MEMOIRS BY

CHAPTER IV.

CHAP. General Washimton's situation. — His conduct contrasted

IV

^!,^ with that of Sir William Howe. — General Howe's con-
duct canvassed, — Militia of the Jerseys reanimated* —
Dictatorial powers granted to General Washington. —
He appoints Major Wilkinson a lieutenant- colonel, and
supers him to choose his corps, and to appoint the officers
of three companies. — Wilkiiisoji sends out his recruiting
parties and repairs to Philadelphia, where he finds Ge-
neral Gates in commaiid. — The trial, condemnation, and
execution of James Molesworth, a spy. — General Gates
appointed to command the northern department, solicits
Wilkinson to accompany him, 7vho with the permission of
General Washington resigns his commission of Lieut. Col.
and follows Gates to Mbany. — Reflections on this step,
and the persecutions which ensued.' — Arnves at Albany ,
and is sent to Ticonderoga. — Letters of 16th, 22d, and
9,6th May, from Major Wilkinson to General Gates. —
Reflections on the loss of Ticonderoga.- — The benefts re-
sulting from this event. — Patiiotic deliberations of Con-
gress interrupted by personal and local prejudices. — In-
consistency of its proceedings. — General Schuyler reaches
Mbany, and resumes the command of the northern depart-
ment.— General St. Clair ordered to the command of Ti-
conderoga, and arnves there. — Difficulties of his situa-
tion, reflections thereon and causes thereof. — His letter
to the President of Congress. — Major Wilkinson appoint-
ed deputy adjutant-general. — His letters to General Gates,
May 31, and of the 10th of Jane. — General Schuyler
visits Ticonderoga. -^.fl Council of war held. — Opinions
of Colonel Wilkinson at that period, respecting the defence
of the place. — Explanation had with General Schutjler,

GENERAL WILKINSON. 1a3

ri'spectin^ his lellcr to General Gales oj June iOtli — Gc- cn.vr.
neral Schuyler leaves "ricondcroga. — fVilkinson*s letter
to General Gates, June 25lh.

The continued fliictuatiun of numbers in General
Wasliinijton's army, which now depended almost exclu-
sively on the militia, again placed liim in the power of
the enemy ; but fortunately the habitual indolence of Sir
William Howe, or his disinclination to terminate tlic war,
restricted his troops to their winter quarters. The ex-
traordinary revolutions in our military affairs, and the
very opposite conduct of the commanders towards the
people of the country, worked a wonderful effect on po-
pular sentiment; it went home to the feelings and inte-
rests of whig and tory, and cannot be more precisely de-
fined than by the contrast of the following documents,
Avhich are certainly entitled to particular notice in these
memoirs.

Extract from General Howe's orders to Colonel Ponnt Do-
nopf commander of the Hessian cantonments along the
Delaware.

"All salted meat and provisions, which may be judged Conduct
to exceed the quantity necessary for the subsistence of ^yjjJJ^^^
an ordinary family, shall be considered as a magazine of Howe and
the enemy, and seized for the king, and given to the \vashrn"--
troops as a saving for the public." ton-

In this authentic warrant, no discrimination is made
between the property of the loyal subject with his pro-
tection in his pocket, and the contumacious rebel who vq-
sisted the royal authority at every hazard ; what was the
conduct of General Washington ?

EXTRACT FROM GEx\ERAL ORDERS.

//. Q. MorristorvUf Jan. 52(f, 1777.
•* The General prohibits both the militia and continen-
tal troops, in the mgst positive terms, the infamous prac-

VOL. I. U

154^ MEMOIRS BY

criAP, tice ol" plimtleiiiig the inhabitants undei* the specious pre-
'^- text n[" llicir being tories. Let tlie persons of such as are
known to be enemies of their country, be seized and con-
fined, and their property disposed of as the hiw of the
state directs. It is our business to give protection and
support to the poor distressed inhabitants, not to multi-
ply and increase their calamities. After the publication
of this order, any officer, either militia or continental,
found plundering the inhabitants, under the pretence of
their being tories, may expect to be punished in the se-
verest manner, and be obliged to account for every thing
so taken.

« J. REED, Mjutant-generdJ'

The preceding order to Count Donop, was found at
Bordentown, after his flight from that place^ it was pub-
lished in the Evening Post of Philadelphia, Jan. 28th,
1777, and will serve to prove to posterity, that while Sir
William Howe neglected his duty to his sovereign, and
permitted the brutal outrages and excesses* committed
on the matroit and the virgin of the Jerseys, which dis-
honour the military profession and disgrace tlie pages of
history, he not only connived at, but expressly sanction-
ed the spoliation of private property, without respect to
friend or foe, exhibiting a singular spectacle of apathy
and indifference to the obligations of duty and sound po-
licy, the claims of humanity, and the principles of re-
ligion.

If tlie yeomanry of the Jerseys, panic struck by the
triumphant marcli of a victorious army, and seduced by
the blandislimcnts and fair promises of the British com-
missioners, shrunk from their duty and abandoned the
standard of tiieir country, in November and December,
1776, they discovered before January, 1777, that the
powers. of the invaders were limited, and the promises of

* See Ihe Icstimony published in tlie Pennsylvania Evening Post,
April 24th and 29th, May 1st, 3d, and lOlh, 1777; and the Journals
of Congress, 1777, p. 115, 116.

(iENERAL WILKINSON. 155

tliecommissioiici's perfidious. Stimij witli rtniorseby the CHAP,
retrospect of tlicii* pusillanimity, and fired willi iudigiia- '^
tion by tlic outrageous injuries tiicy luid suflercd, lliey
aijain resumed their arms, and the old and the young,
determined to avenge their wrongs ui)(»n the aiKliors of
their misery, and the enemies of their country: hence-
forward the militia of the Jerseys stood pre-eminent
among the defenders of the public cause j they hovered
around the enemy, and harassed him whenever he stepped
beyond his stationary guards j the aged watched, ex-
plored, designed — the youth, alert, courageous, and ever
ready for the onset, planted a hedge of pickets in General
Washington's front, to abate his painful solicitudes, to con-
ceal his nakedness, and support tiie revolution, during the
period in which a second army was totally disbanded, and a
third levied under the eyes of the I^ritish commander, who Apathy of
with 2r,000* veteran troops of Europe at his disposal, Ijljh^om.
made no exertion to discourage the recruiting of the mander.
American corps, or to recover the ground he had lost.
The continued pressure of General Washington's dilli- The con-
culties arc best described in his correspondence. On the Ireg's of '''
19th of January, 1777, he writes the president of Con- (General
gress from Morristown : <« The fluctuating state of our ^^^^ ^'"^*
army, composed chiefly of militia, bids fair to reduce us
to the situation in which we were some time ago; that is,
of scarcely having any army at all. One of the batta-
lions from the city of Philadelphia goes home to-day, and
the other two remain a few days through courtesy. The
time for which a country brigade under General Miftliii
came out is expired, and they stay from day to day by
dint of solicitation, their numbers much reduced by de-
sertion. We have about 800 of the eastern continental
troops remaining of 1200 or 1400, who fast agreed to
stay ; part engaged to the last of this month, part to the
middle of next. The fi;fc'e Virginia regiments are reduced

• See Letters to a Nobleman on the Conduct of the War, printed by
J. Wilkle, London, 1777 — also General Robinson's Testimony before
the House of Commons.

156

31EM0IRS BY

CHAP.
IV.

.Tan. 5.
Colonel
Spencer
und Gene-
ral Dick-
inson dis-
tinguish
thern-
selves in
the petit
guerre.

(;oloncl
Nelson's
cnler-
piize.
Feb. 18.

to a handful of men, as are Colonel Hand's, Smalhvood'.s,
and the German battalion. A few days ago, General
Warner an-ived without abaut 700 Massachusetts mili-
tia, engaged to the 15th March. Thus you have a sketch
of our present army, with wiiich we are obliged to keep
up appearances before an enemy already double to us in
iinmbers, and who from every account are withdrawing
their troops from Rhode Island, to form a junction of
their whole army, and make another attempt to break
np ours, or penetrate towards Philadelphia; a thing by
no means difficult now, as the ice affords an easy passage
over the Delaware.^' And in a letter to the commanding
officer in Philadelphia, dated Head Quarters, Morris-
town, Jan. 2dbth, 1777, he says, "My situation will not
admit of the smallest delay, in despatching and forward-
ing to this place all the troops in Philadelphia. Let the
utmost expedition be used in fitting them out, as fast as
they arrive, and no time be lost in sending them on un-
der proper officers."

In such circumstances, this resurrection of the dormant
spirit of the Jerseys was most critical; the first notable
manifestation of it was made by Colonel Spencer, who
with an equal number of militia attacked fifty Waldeck-
ers near Springfield, killed ten, and made the rest pri-
soners will) two conimissit)ned officers. This cheering
success was followed by a stroke of more importance.
General Dickinson, with four hundred Jersey militia and
fifty Pennsylvania riflemen, attacked a foraging party
of the enemy of equal numbers, with three field pieces,
and charged them so vigorously, that they gave way and
abandoned their convoy, but carried off their killed and
wounded : in this affair Genei-al Dickinson acquired
much credit; he made nine prisoners, and took forty
wagons, with upwards of 100 English draft horses,
and a number of sheej) and cattle which the enemy had
collected ; and soon after this brilliant exploit. Colonel
Nelson of Brunswick, who was an exile from his domi-
cile, with 150 yeomanry, surprised and captured a major
and fifty-nine loyalists in British pay. This current of

GENERAL WILKINSON. 157

good fortune on our part dcprcBBcd the confidence of the chap.
enemy, raised the spirits of the country, and produced the '^
most happy effects on the recruiting service.

Moved by the representations of General Wasliington ivr J7.
and the desperate state of piihlic affairs, the Congress ,///!„
had on the 27th of December reluctantly conferred on sivepow-
him very extensive general jjowers,* with specific autho- fcrred"or\
rity to appoint and levy sixteen battalions of infantry, f^'cneral
threc thousand cavalry, tliree regiments of ai-tillei'y, and ion.
a corps of engineers j and he lost no time in entering
upon the organization and appointment of these corps.
Shortly after our arrival at Morristown, he did me the
honour to offer me a lieutenant-colonelcyf in one of the Major
sixteen battalions, which I accepted, and was arranged is appoint-
to that of Colonel Nathaniel Guest j hut beijig informed ed a Lieut,
that this gentleman had been bred on the southern fron- .j^n^iQ.*

1777.

■ • " Friday, December 27ift, 1776.

" The Congress having maturely considered the present crisis, and
having perfect reliance on the wisdom, vigour and uprightness of Ge-
neral Washington, do hereby resolve, that General Washington shall
be, and lie is hereby vested with full, ample and complete powers to
raise and collect together, in the most speedy and effectual manner,
from any or all of these United States, sixteen battalions of infantry,
in addition to those already voted by Congress; to appoint officers
for the said battalions of infantry ; to raise, officer, and equip 3000
light horse, three regiments of artillery, and a corps of engineers,
and to establish their pay ; to apply to any of the states for such aid
of the militia as he shall judge necessary; lo form such magazines
of provisions, and in such places as he shall think proper; to displace
and appoint all officers under the rank of Brigadier-general, and to
lill up all vacancies in ever)' oilier department in the American ar-
mies ; to take, wherever he may be, whatever he may want for the
»ise of the army, if ihe inhabitants will not sell it, allowing a reason-
able price for the same ; to arrest and confine persons who refuse to
take the continental currency, or are otherwise disaffected to the
American cause; and return to the slates of which they are citizens,
their names, and the nature of their ollcnces, together with the wit-
nesses to prove them. — That the foregoing powers be vested in Ge-
neral Washington for and during the term of six months from the
date ln-Tcof, unless sooner determined by Congress."
f 1 was then in my twentieth year.

158 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, tier, 1 was fearful a difference of education might be
'^ ' prejudicial to the harmony of the corps, and took the
liberty to offer the suggestion to the General, who was
pleased to say, that it was «< to remedy the defects of lax
discipline and polite manners, he had attached me to the
corps of Colonel Guest, who although a rough was a
brave and a good man." My apprehensions of the con-
tact were not however removed, and finally tlie General
indulged me M'ith an election, and I chose Colonel Tho-
mas Hartley, with whom I had served in Canada, for
my immediate superior. My instructions for the re-
cruiting service were soon arranged, and I repaired to
Maryland, with authority to appoint officers to three
companies, for whom I received blank commissions from
General Washington, to be filled up at my discretion.

I left head quarters at Morristown in the Jerseys about
the 15th of January, and hastened to the place of my de-
signation, where I proceeded to a selection of platoon
officers for the three companies, to be appointed by me,
and among those of my appointment, I recollect Captain
Benjamin Stoddert,* since secretary of the navy, the va-
lued friend of my youth and age. Captain Richard Wil-
son of Queen Ann county, an esteemed and respectable
acquaintance, who made a brilliant officer, and Lieute-
nant Henry Carberry, late a colonel in the army. Hav-
ing completed the appointments depending on me, and
put my recruiting parties in operation, I returned to Phi-
ladelphia, the regimental rendezvous, the beginning of
March, where I found General Gates in command, and
he immediately invited the renewal of the intimacy with
which he had honoured me the preceding campaign.
Trial, Soon after my arrival in Philadelphia, I was ordered

condem- ^j ^^.j^^j of Jamcs Molesworth, accused of being a spy

nation and ^ . .

execution from the enemy, and for endeavouring to inveigle three
Moles"-^^ pilots into their service, to conduct their ships of war to
worth. the attack of the city of Philadelphia. This case was the

• StodJert was wounded in the battle of Brandywine, and Cai'-
berry on General Sullivan's expedition against the Indians.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 159

first which had occurred after the revolt of the colonics, chap.
and several circumstances occurred to produce embar- '^•
rasstncnts^ the law martial could alono apply to the of-
fence charged against the culprit, hut it had not been
committed within the piecincts of a military camp or
garrison, nor was the attempt made on a military cha-
racter; yet it was hostile to the revolutionary cause—
the example w«as dangerous in its tendency, and the pub-
lic safety required it should be nipped in the bud, to deter
evil doers from the repetition of it ; the Congress inter-
posed its omnipotent and unrestrained authority; Major-
general Gates ordered the court, approved the sentence,
and directed the execution, but submitted the proceed-
ings to Congress, who after reading the same, declared,
<* and it appearing thereby that the same James Molse-
worth is found guilty of the crimes laid to his charge,
and sentenced to suffer death, resolved, that Congress
approve the sentence aforesaid, and confirm the orders of
General Gates for the execution of it;" and he was ac-
cordingly executed' — but the opinion of the court was not
unanimous. This victim of policy was obscure in his
birth and circumstances, with an exterior of simplicity
and meekness; he appeared strongly attached to a fe-
male, who was suspected of an intimacy with a Mr.

F s, and I frequently, by order, visited him in his

cell, witU promises of pardon, if he would discover his
accomplices: his extreme sensibility and religious de-
votion aflccted my heart, and I felt as if I could have
given half my existence to have saved him; but he made
no confession, nor did he implicate any person, though
he wrote several ambiguous and incoherent notes to the
female alluded to.

On the 25th of March, General Gates was again ap- General
pointed to the command of the northern department,* p^^'nted't'o

* « Philadelphia, March 26th, 1776.

" Sir,
" I had the honour to receive your excellency's letter of yesterday

evening, .ind am happy in being again appointed to the important

160 MEMOIRS BY

ciiAi'. and urged mo so strongly to Jiccompany him, that I at

*^- length (onscntcd, provided General Washington would

permit nic; and to asccrtaiK his will I mounted my

tlic corn- • '

mandof horsc und Waited on him at Morristown. 1 arrived in
, ci'n "lel^'^'' tlie evening, and when I presented myself, found him

partnicnt. alonc ; he received me kindly, hut when 1 opened my
business, by asking leave to resign my lieutenant-colo-
iichy, he seenjed piqued, and asked me what I proposed
to do ^ 1 answered, " to accompany General Gatee.'*

AVilkinspn He enquired " for vt hat reason?" 1 replied, that I had

will, per- «< served in the northern department, had made observa-

misHUjii of , , ,. , I ■ I r I ■■ ■

<jciHr:il tions on tlie topograpliy ol the country, which 1 believed

Wasliiiif;- ^.y„i,| enable me to render more service there than else-
ion, sacri-
fices Ills where, and I had understood it was probable the most

cominis- jj(.^jyc operations would be in that quarter." He replied

sion to ac- ' *■ *

company a { woidd to God, gentlemen could for once know their
li^t s own minds ; 1 have been endeavoring to form a register
of tlie Mrmy, bdt meet with so many caprices, that I fear
it will be impossible; but if you have a mind to resign,
you have my permission." At this last expression my
young heart leaped with joy, so warmly had General
Gates attached it to him, by his indulgence of my self
love. I took leave of General Washington with grateful
acknowledgments, and returned to Philadelphia on the
wings of impatience, to equip myself for the cam]>aign,
and follow General Gates, who had set out for Albany
the beginning of April.

command of the nortlicm department. The honourable the Congress
may rest assured of my utmost diligence and ability being exerted in
their service: my firm integrity and warmest gratitude are also due
to the United States for this mark of respect from you, Sir, and the
Congress. I propose leavmg this city on Monday morning, and sliall
proceed without delay to execute the duties of my station. That the
events of the ensuing campaign may fill with joy the friends of free-
dam, and satisfy the appointments of Congress, is the ardent wuh of
'• Sir, your most obedient humble sei'vant,

"liOU.VTlO GATES, Mnjor-^eneral.

" Jlia Excellenct/ Gen. George H'unhin^'-toii, Commander in Chief,
Head Quarters, Morrislown."

GENERAL AVILKINSON. ifll

I intrcat tlie particular attt ntion of llic reader to this cilAP.
Jjunsaction, because it will prove tliat the pride of mi- '^■
litary ambition had not then infected my bosom, and
my whole soul was devoted to the cause of my country ;
it is true, 1 was emulous of distinction, hut it was more
the distinction of service, than that of rank: Heaven will
bear me witness, that I now record what I then felt, and
the precious sentiment has been illustrated by my subse-
quent conduct; but it will be recollected by my contem-
poraries, that the calumnies wherewith my character was
assailed in the bud of life, were signalised by imputations
of ingratitude to General Gates; that these have been
made auxiliary to the more modern slanders, with whicU
I have been persecuted, and that the incongruous mass has
been cai-efully handed down to posterity, by nieu whose
malevolence is insatiable; tliose warm hearted, candid and
ingenuous characters, who have been prejudiced against
me by misrepresentations, will perceive on the perusal of
these sheets, that I made my noviciate in arms at my own
expense, and at the sacrifice of an honourable profession ;
that under the patronge and personal observation of Gene-
ral Washington, 1 mounted from a company to a lieute-
nant-colonelcy in the line, and that at tiie instance of Gene-
ral Gates, surely to serve him and not myself, at a time
when I did not owe him a shadow of obligation, I was
induced after almost two years of incessant active ser-
vice, between the Atlantic and the St. Lawrence, to re-
sign my lineal rank and its emolmuents, and to accept a
subordinate station on the staff, from which I had been
promoted. To military men this may appear a pheno-
menon, and the incident drew the following biicf remark
from the virtuous old General Armstrong, < the hero of
Kittanning,' when he heard it, — <*>Vell, wonders will
never cease, while lieutenant-colonels of the line resign
to become majors of the staff; it is a new thing under
the sun." But my motives have hcen explained, and
must justify my conduct, ur I shall chocrfully abide the
censure of those who are not satisfied.
VOL. i. X

165 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. I leached Albany the latter end of April, and was
^^" soon after despatciied by General Gates, with instructions
to examine and regulate the chain of communication
with Ticonderoga, which depending on a combination of
land and water transport, had in the course of the pre-
ceding winter been entirely deranged, by the negligence
and misconduct of the public agents; and after perform-
ing this service, I was directed to take post at Ticonde-
roga, enter upon my functions of brigade major, and
keep the General regularly advised of the state of the
garrison, and every material occurrence. The following
communications will best explain the manner in which I
discharged my duty, and I submit them to the indulgent'
consideration of the reader, as the production of an ar-
dent, inexperienced youth, who had not reached his twen-
tieth year.

« Ticonderoga, May 16th, ±777,
• « My dear General,
tetters of « I arrived here on the 13th inst. and was politely re-

and 26U> ccived by General P , who immediately ordered rc-

May,i7r7, turns from the several departments under his command,
referred ^|,ich after a great deal of trouble, I have obtained, and
now inclose you. Their inaccuracy I hope will be ex-
cused, as the adjutants are in general new hands, and the
management of this department has degenerated incredi-
bly. I flatter myself their next efforts will be more in-
telligible. Colonel Hay went yesterday to Skeensbo-
jough, and promised to meet this express at Fort Ed-
ward, with the state of that post, >yood creek, the Saw
null, &c. which I desired him to inclose to you.

" There is a general cry for clothing ; the shirts in
store are refused by the soldiery, and are in fact too
mean to be worn : there is a total want of iron proper
for mounting the aitillery, and a great demand for arms
and accoutrements; those arms which have lately arrived
from Albany, were so fliiasily repairedj as not to bear

GENERAL. AVILKINSON. 16«J

llic transportation, which has put them in a worse c on<li- chap.
tioii than when thoy were sent away: hence 1 think will *^-
appear the absurdity oC establishing the armoury at Al-
bany, and tlie propriety of moving it to this post, where
it is so immediately needed : tlie least injury to a fire-
lock renders it useless until it has travelled to lliat place
and back again, with the imminent risk (if a body may
judge from present appearances) of being leturned worse
than it went away*

« This garrison is considerably obliged to Major Ste-
vens* of the artillery, an active, honest, and industrious
officer j he directs the laboratory, and will in a little time,
if supplied with paper, fix ammunition enough for the
troops. Your last campaign established a company of
artificers under his direction, which you will now observe
included in his return ; they are an excellent set of hands,
and will alone I think be able to prepare the wood work
necessary for mounting the artillery destined for the post;
but unless iron is furnished, this will be of no conse-
quence. I inclose you the examinations of a number;* of
torics, who w^erc intercepted in arms on the east and west
sides of the lake, and are now in custody. General P
waits your orders respecting them.

" Whitcomb was detached on the 14th inst. with a
party of 150 men, in quest of M«Alpin's craw, and will,
1 fancy, spare no pains to fall in with them.

" When I arrived here, I understood that the enemy
were forming a post at Gilliiand's creek, consisting chief-
ly of Indians and tories. I urged the necessity of imme-
diately dislodging tliem, and the General has sent out a
scout to reconnoitre their situation; his return w:M de-
termine what must be done.

" The poor remains of our fleet, which miglit be ren-
dered somewhat respectable, are at present in a most
contemptible situation; without order, without any siiadc
of regularity, and almost void of naval stores; it is badly

* Who commanded lUe American arlilleiy al the couveajion of

Saratoga.

164 MEMOIRS BY

ciTAP. manned and miserably oificered. Major Stevens prays
a reinforcement of artillerists, as his corps is by no means
capable of manning the different batteries, and he begs
for field pieces.

« Several regiments at this post are torn to pieces by
detachments, as you will observe by the returns: the offi-
cers earnestly wish to have them called in and incorpo-
rated, the good effects of which you are fully sensible of.
*< I think yours or some other general's presence im-
mediately necessary at this post, for be assured the gar-
rison under the present dominion will in a short time be

rendered a mere chaos. General P is a worthy good

tempered member of society, and a man I esteem, but so
little of the general, that he has no opinion of his own;
indeed he is one of the most humble characters I ever
knew; void of that authoritative decision which graces
even error, be betrays all the timid diffidence of con-
scious ignorance. Pardon the freedom of my language ;
I speak to General Gates, but in him I hope I address a
friend. The garrison increases rapidly : I hope in the
course of a week to return you four tliousand men, and
am with the utmost respect my dear General's much
obliged, obedient and ready servant,

« JA. WILKINSON.
*« Hon, Major-general GatesJ'

<« Ticonderogcif May 22cZ, 1777.
« My dear General,

♦< The director* has taken so precipitate a flight from
this place, that he leaves me scarce a minute to write to
you. I wish to Heaven, either yourself or General St.
Glair was here for a few days. Colonel Kosciusko is
timidly modest — Ealduin is inclosing the lines on a plan
of his own — General has arrived, he is a very in-
efficient officer, though somewhat more determined than
— ' — . \Ye are now about three thousand strong ; the
militia P. T. arrive in small regiments ; the spy, through

* Doctor Potts, director of hospitals.

GENERAL AVILKINSON. |0i

tlio negligence of the guard at tlic landing place, has es- CHAP.
caped. I dread tlic want of provisions more than men. I '^•
am at present a little indisposed, and am with tlie utmost
respect, your much obliged, obedient and ready servant,

«JA. WILKINSON.
« JIqii. Major-general Gates J'

« Ticondcroga, May 26/A, 1777.
*< My dear General,

« I now inclose you a general return of this garrison,
but cannot tell whether it corresponds with the last, as I
sent th.at off in such a hurry as not to reserve a copy.
The adjutants, generally speaking, are blockheads, and
two of the brigade majors are totally ignorant of their
duty, so that this incorrect exhibition is the product of

three days vexatious labour. Since General *s ar-

I'ival on Tuesday last, we have brought all the continen-
tal troops, except Long*s regiment, to this side of the
lake, and have posted the militia on the mount, brigaded
imder Colonel Long, a genteel, amiable man. The troops

on this side are formed under Brigadiers and

r . The stay of the militia is quite discretionary

with the General, as they are turned out on this emer-
gency without any limited term of duration, though they
begin already to complain. You will find in these returns
a very treacherous proportion of officers, and that several
are furloughed in the original return; frauds which your
or General St. Clair's presence is necessary to correct.

« Colonel Hay is an active officer, of more judgment
than any one I know in this garrison. About one hun-
dred and twenty of the men returned on command, ai'c
under his direction, and arc I believe advantageously em-
ployed ; the residue are under Colonel Baldwin, and on
board the fleet, where I think economy is much needed;
one whole company of carpenters are constantly employ-
ed in forming a kind of IViezcd abbatis, on the exterior
of the glacis of the French lines. The works are precipi-
tated on the plan laid down by Colonel Baldwin : the re-

101^ MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, doubt at those lines goes on finely ; it is formed by certain
2^ lines beginning at the east end of the curtain on which
the three north embrasures are opened, and closing at
the south sally-port. I believe my details have mad©
more invalids than real disease, the complaints of many
being very trivial ; however, as I have no authority
to obviate this subterfuge, they will continue to avail
themselves of it. The muster-master is much wanted ;
he cannot arrive too soon. The artificers, and a number
of workmen, are at present without arms, and as there is
in iise and in store a great proportion of bad ones, I
think there appears an evident necessity of moving the
ai-moury to this place immediately.

« My general is acquainted with tlje various precau-
tions preparatory to successful defence j he knows the
subject to be too complex for the comprehension of men
of mean abilities, no education, and little experience : —
what then must be the fate of this garrison under its pre-
• sent command ? I give you my honour, at this moment,
there is no disposition of defence made in case of an at-
tack, or even alarm posts assigned? I shall endeavour to
have the latter consideration settled this day. Provi-
dence yesterday exposed one point of our weakness, by
ordering a gale of wind, which carried away and broke
to pieces the boom, bridge, and every appendage thereof.

« Please to observe the proportion of officers in Whit-
comb's corps; I cannot find out the establishment on
which it is formed, and believe no person has before ob-
tained a return from him. I inclose you his original,
with the return of an associate. Captain Lee, a man oi'
whom I can gain no satisfaction. I think if the public
favour is bestowed, it ought to be on men of public bene-
volence at least.

" We have intelligence of the enemy's fleet being oft*
Cumberland head: perhaps 1 may personally ascertain
the truth of this information in a few days.

« I shall be proud to receive your commands respect-
ing the future returns. A scout has this moment arrived
who was yesterday chased near the Four Brothers, by

GENERAL AVILKINSON. 107

four of the enemy's boats ; lie observed lying at that chap.
place a schooner, a pettiatiger, and six or seven batteaux. '^
I suppose Ihey arc taking off the wheat and stock which
wc iiave neglected to secure. To yon, Sir, I have spoke
plainly of men and things, because I tliought it my duty,
but expect, unless it becomes necessary, that my well
meant candour ^^^ll not involve me in controversy with
men, whom I should in proper place respect.
« I haA'c the honour to be,
«« My dear General's

« Obliged and ready servant,
« JA. WILKINSON.
« Il07i. Major-general GatesJ'*

In these letters the defenceless condition of tliis im-
portant fortress is exposed with much simplicity and
truth, and the causes which led to the abandonment
of it arc obvious ; yet, for the meritorious deed, the
unfortunate St. Clair suffered the most merciless and '
unmerited persecutions ; notwithstanding the calamity
was produced by the improvidence and neglect of the
national councils, and although it is manifest to every
military man, that the abandonment of the place laid
the foundation for the capture of General Burgoyne;
aw event which counterbalanced the adversities of the
main army, produced the French alliance,* and acce-
lerated the establishment of the national independence.
— Reader! I conjure you to bear in mind, that whilst
my humble pen is offering this small tribute to the
merits and the services of a revolutionary chief; this
•illustrious citizen bending under a load of yeai-s, after
having filled the highest offices of the state, on a mi-
serable pittance, the effect of local bounty, not bestowed
by the general government, but by the benevolence of

* Before this event reached Paris, I was assured by Commodore
Nicholson and the Hon. William Camiichael, who were there, we
had fallen into such disrepute, that the name of .\jnerican was
hooted.

168

MEMOIRS BY

CHAP.
IV.

General
Scliuyler
resumes
the com-
mand.

the state of Pennsylvania, is suffered to drag out life iu
indigence and obscurity.

About this period the noble patriotism and generous
self denial, which had cemented the deliberations, united
the energies, and guided the views of the Congress, be-
gan to be affected by personal bias and local preju-
dices j and the private animosities wiiich sprung up,
infected the first assembly of the world with intrigues
and cabals, similar to those which distinguished a con-
clave of cardinals in the sixteenth century. On the 25th
of March, witiiout a reason assigned, Major-general
Gates, by order of the Congress, superceded Major-
general Schuyler, his superior officer, in the command
of the northern department j and on the 22d of May
following. Major-general Schuyler, without any profess-
ed motive, was restored to that department. These ca-
prices were unworthy the national councils, and inju-
rious to the public interests : in military affairs this ver-
satility in command begets disgust and negligence, damps
the zeal of the officer, and utterly subverts responsibili-
ty; and it is in general the offspring of personal animo-
sity or the intrigues of sinister ambition, of which the
administration of President Madison furnishes abundant
proofs.

General Schuyler reached Albany the 3d of June, and
addressed General Gates the next day for information
respecting the state of the department, to which letter he
received no answer, but Gen. Gates waited on him, and pre-
sented a letter from the commanding officer at Ticondero-
ga, and a return of the troops. On the 5th Gen. Schuy-
ler ordered Gen. St. Clair to repair to Ticondcroga, and
take the command, who accordingly reached that post on
the 12th, where he found a small garrison, badly armed,
worse clad, and without magazines. It is a fact, that
both Major-general Schuyler and Major-general Gates,
had demanded 10,000 continental troops for the defence
of Ticonderoga; but unfortunately the Congress had
received information, in the course of the spring, 1777,
which they credited, that a large portion of the army of

GENERAL WILKINSON. 169

Canada had \u<-m ordered round to New York, to co-ope- chap.
r.itc with Sir William Howe, and that no serious opera- '^•
tion would be carried against the northern frontier. Un-
der these impressions, the troops intended for the de-
fence of Ticonderoga, had been detained on the sea coasf,
and the whole northern department was improvidently
neglected.

Among the manifold difliculties* which encompassed nenrral
General St. Clair, two of the most important were found jifRcuU *
insuperable. The enemy from his command of the lake, tiesejia-
and by the hords of Indians with whom he covered his
front, rendered it impossible to ascertain his force and
penetrate his designs; and, at the same time, the condi-
tion of his magazine of provisions, forbid his calling for
auxiliary force in any extremity, because the remedy
would have been worse than the disease; as without it
we could but be beaten, and with it wc must have
starved.

Wlien General Gates discovered from his friends in
Congress, that it was probable lu5 would be superceded
in command by General Schuyler, he by the express au-

* Extract of a letter from Major-general St. Clair to his excellency
John Elancock, president of Congress:

" Ticonderoga, Jfaie 25th, 1777.

" I inclose you a return of our troops at this post, by which you
will perceive our effective numbers are little more than 2000, a force
greatly inadequate to its defence; which should the enemy attack it
in force, would require at least four times that number : in that two
thousand are included a number of artificers who are unarmed> and
many of the soldiers are in the same condition, and the whole in very
great want of clothing, accoutrements and bayonets.

" If the militia were called in, they might possibly enable us to keep
possession, but 1 have not yet ventured on that step on account of our
low state of provisions, there not being more than 35 days meat for
the troops now here, and because of the uncertainty in which we
were with regard to the enemy's designs.

" No army was ever in a more critical situation than we now are;
and supposing that this motion is only a feint to favour the operations
of Sir William Howe, which I still suspect it to be, we may and pro-
bably will be reduced to the greatest distress, the supplies being de-
rived from such a dist.ince, and the communication so difficult, thut
jt js next to impossible to Eupjiort it."

vol. r. Y

170 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, thority of Congress, issued the following otder, which
'^' placed me at the head of the adjutant general's depart-
ment in the northern army.

GENERAL ORDERS.

*( Head Qiiarters, MatjSt^th, 1777*
a Colonel James Wilkinson is appointed deputy adju-
tant-general to the army in the northern department of
America; all orders written or verbal, coming from him,
are to be considered as the orders of the general in chief
of that department, and as such are to be punctually
and immediately obeyed -, and to this order all brigade
majors, adjutants and others, are to pay strict attention
and due obedience."

« HORATIO GATES, Major Genr

I had no suspicion when I received this order, that the
command of the department was about to be changed,
nor had I any expectation of receiving this appointment.
My breast was warmed at that early day with the same
personal aflfections, and zeal for the interests of my coun-
try which still animate it, and the following letter writ-
ten at the time, will speak for the candour of these de-
clarations.

« Ticonderoga, May Sist, 1777.
** My dear General,

** Permit me to mate you my most grateful acknow-
ledgments for the compliment you have paid me by an
appointment little expected, and I fear less merited. The
duties of the department, master my slender experience.,
and I dread, unless I am honoured with your directions^
that your election will not escape the censures of the ma-
lignant and envious ; but as I am determined never to dis-
grace my commissionf the conviction of my incapacity to
attain a knowledge of the duty shall, with your permission,
immediately reduce me to my late most agreeable situation.
I must beg pardon for the incoherent scroll which you

GENERAL WILKINSON. I7I

last received from me ; it was the hurried dictate of a cfiap.
hreast torn by conflicting; passions. '^'•

« Ten pieces of ordnance have arrived, wliich will be
mounted, Major Stephens tells me, in five days; the rest
are hourly expected : I shall pay strict attention to the.
preparation of tlie carriages. The works are now puslied
on B 's unmeaning plan.— -For God's sake, let Kos-
ciusko come back as soon as possible, with proper autho-
rity. Tlie commissary's department has been as much
neglected as the quarter-master's, for we could not sub-
sist the present small garrison longer than ten weeks; in
this situation what would be the consequence of the ene-
my's cutting off the communications by Lake George and
Skeensborough ? — I think, the reduction of tlie garrison
without discharging a gun. Being more apprehensive
of this move than their attacking the lines, I have urged
the necessity of obstructing their passage into the South
bay, and Colonel Hay has undertaken the business by
sinking piers, which he says he will be able to complete
in tliree weeks.

<« Whitcomb returned from Split Rock last night, and
confutes the intelligence transmitted you by General
— — - — ; he says there is only one scliooncr in that quar-
ter of the lake, and she lies at Otter creek.

«< It^was contrary to my opinion, that General

wrote to you in the manner and at the time he did ; but
he complained that the letter was not sufficiently alarm-
ing, and General was of opinion that we had not

time to write. — Such irresolution I never saw disj)Iayed.

•—What can I do in this situation ? General P iias

written to New England in a most lamentable style, and
is now reduced to the necessity of sending expresses, to
contradict his late positive assurances. You know the
consequence of false alarms, and how this conduct will
ftffect the officer's reputation ; however, he did not blindly
err, as I boldly represented to him tlie risk and conse-
quences of the measure, and begged hard that it might
not be executed. Major Stephens has used all the large
iron scut by Colonel Lewis, and begs more. Pray take

17S

CHAP.
IV.

MEMOIRS BY

into your consideration the fleet ; it is now totally use-
less. The officer who let the spy escape from the block-
house, has been honourably acquitted by a general court
martial. But I will not multiply your sufferings by my
future complaints.

« I am with the utmost respect,
" My dear General's obliged,

<« Obedient and ready servant,
« JA. WILKINSON.
« Major-general Gates."

But on the 10th of Juiie I received a letter from Gene-
ral Gates, in which he announced his removal from the
command, and inclosed my commission, which bore date
the 6th of June, and was signed by President Hancock.
I regret tiiat I am not able to place my hands on that
letter, wliich abounded with assurances of friendship and
\vas highly gratifying to me. Fired with indignation at
the degi'adation of my favourite general and friend, I im-
mediately took my pen and answered in the following
liinguage.

^« Ticondcroga, June lOthf 1777,
Colonel " My dear General,

^^,'1'^'" 1. '* ^ ^'" ^^''^ ^^y honoured by your affectionate letter
lep of of the rt!j instant, with the inclosed commission. It wrung

to'cenaai "^^' •»^^^'^» f^"*^ ^ dropped a tear upon it.

Gates. « I really begin to love the New England men, not

from a display of any virtue or talent hitherto not exhi-
bited, but for the mortification and dissatisfaction which
Inarked their countenances on the late astonishing revo-
lulion. This just tribute was an evidence of their judg-
ment and gratitude, which could but please a contempla-
tive mind, zealously interested in your fate and fortunes.
^' I anxiously exjjcct General St. Clair ; his presence
will iielp to alleviate the load which oppresses me.

« The perfidy of mankind truly disgusts mc with life,
and if the hap])iness of an amiable woman was not un-
fortunately too dependent on my MTctched existence, I

GENERAL WILKINSON. 173

/should think I had lived long enough, nor would I wish chap.
more to breathe the common air with ingrates, assassins, J^^
and double-faced villains.

« It will contribute to my happiness to hear from you
now and then. — You know my wish to attend you. With
the liveliest sense of gratitude, I beg leave to subscribe
myself my dear General's affectionate friend, and obliged
and ready servant,

« JA. WILKINSON.
" Hon. Major-general Gates.**

These effusions of affection, however impassioned, will
not I trust derogate from the integrity of my heart,
which would not have denied its feelings to save my life;
nor have I learned at threescore, thank God, to barter
the independence of a free citizen, for the dastardly dis-
cretion or timid circumspection, by which courtiers ac-
quire favour, and heartless sycopliants explore the route
to ofHcial eminence.

On the 17th of June Major-general Schuyler visited General
m. . XT . , , ,. . Schuyler

1 iconderoga. He had not the preceding campaign com- visits

manded the troops in person, and making his head quar- Ticonde-
ters at Albany, his intercourse with tiiem was so circum- junc 17.
scribed, that he was little known ; and although a perfect
gentleman, as he did not practise the arts of popularity,
he was far from being a favourite. I was grateful for
his marked attentions to me, but I did not feel for him
the same regard I cherished for General Gates.

On the 18th the general officers made a critical in- Explana-
spection of the fortifications, and I was invited to accom- *'^°een^*
pany them. In the course of the walk. General Schuyler General
fell behind, and beckoned to me to attend him. As soon anjcoig-
as we were alone, he said to mc, « Young gentleman, I nei Wil-
have a crow to pick with you." *< Pray on what ac-
count. Sir ?" ♦< Do you recollect a letter you wrote a
few days ago to General Gates?" — I was struck dumb
with embarrassment, and he proceeded. "You have not
treated me with great civility in that letter." Resent-
ment had by this time removed my embarrassment, and

17*

MEMOIRS BY

CHAP.
IV.

Colonel
"Wilkin-
son's opU
uioia re-
specting
the tenure
©f Ticon-
deroga.

Cotincil of
war.

I demanded^ " How, Sir, did you come by ray priv^at©
letter?'* « Very fairly: your letter, among many others
addressed to General Gates, reached Albany after he
had left that place, and not being marked private, I be-
lieved it to be official; but," continued he, "although
you do not flatter me in that letter, I assure you I do
not condemn you ; on the contrary, I admire warmth a^d
affection in young gentlemen of your age, and upon far-
ther acquaintance, I hope you may find cause to give me
a share of the regard you now bear General Gates." I
was charmed with the issue of an explanation which in
the commencement had excited my indignation, and the
liberality of the General could not fail of winning my at-
tachment. In the coui'se of his examination of the works.
General Schuyler asked my opinion of the plan we
should adopt, in respect to the maintenance of the post :
I replied, that my age forbade an opinion in a case of
such magnitude. " But I ask it, and I shall know hoW
to estimate it,'* said he. I then recommended the course
which may be observed in some of my letters, viz. that
« the whole army, its magazines and attirail, excepting
1500 select men, with a few light iron cannon, and two
month's provisions, should be ordered to Fort George,
as by this plan we should be enabled to defend the place
against a feint, and in case of a serious attack, our light
party could scamper over the hills and join the main
body." The General observed that tlii.'s was precisely
his own opinion, but that without orders from Congress,
he dare not take on himself the responsibility of a mea-
sure which would excite a great outcry.

We were still kept in ignorance of the movements and
designs of the enemy; and a council of war was held on
the 20th, which adopted the following conclusions.

Ccmncil of General (Officers, held at Ticonderogay on Friday
the ZOth of June, ±777.

Present — Major-general Schuyler, Major-general St.
Clair, Brigadier-general Roche dc Fermoy, Brigadier-
general Poor, and Brigadier-general Patterson.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 175

General Schuyler requested the council to take into CHAP.
consideration the state of this post, with respect to tlie ^^
number of troops necessary for its defence, the disposi-
tion of the troops and mode of defence, the state of th^
ibrtifications, and the quantity of provision that may bo
depended upon.

The council having taken into their most serious con-
sideration the several matters stated in the first article^
are clearly and unanimously of opinion:

1st. — That tlic number of troops now at this post and
Mount Independence, wliich are under 2,500 effective
rank and file, are greatly inadequate to the defence of
both posts.

2d. — That both posts ought, nevertheless, to be main-
tained as long as possible, consistent with the safety of
the troops and stores.

3d. — That if it should become necessary to evacuate
one or otticr of the posts, and that it remains in our elec-
tion which, that it ought to be the Ticonderoga side.

4th. — ^That such cannon and stores as are not imme-
diately necessary on the Ticonderoga side, be removed
without delay to Mount Independence.

5tli. — That the fortifications and lines on Mount In-
dependence are very deficient; and that the repairing the
old and adding new works, ought to claim immediate at-
tention; and tliat the engineers be directed to repair and
make the necessary fortifications.

Gth. — That the obstructions in the lake, to prevent tho
enemy's naval force from getting into our rear, and
thereby cutting off all supplies, or preventing a retreat,
if such a measure should unhappily become indispensably
necessary, ought to be completed with all imaginable
despatch.

7th. — That so much remains to be done effectually to
complete the obstructions, that, with the few troops wc
liave, there is no great probability it can be done in less
than six weej'-j.

8th. — ^That althougli our forces may be adequate to
maintain our ground on Mount Independence, yet unless

176

MEMOIRS BY

CHAP.
IV.

a sufficient stock of provision can be thrown in before
the arrival of the enemy, we having now only thirty nine
day's provisions of meat kind, we think it would be im-
prudent to expose the army to be made prisoners by the
enemy; and that, therefore, it is prudent to provide for
a retreat; to effectuate which, that all the batteaux now
at this post be immediately repaired, and as many as can
be spared out of Lake George be brought hither.

9th. — That a quantity of provision of the meat kind,
should, if possible, be immediately forwarded from Al-
bany or elsewhere.

10th. — That immediate application be made to his ex-
cellency General Washington, for a reinforcement to be
sent on with all possible expedition.

(Signed) PHILIP SCHUYLER,

ARTHUR ST. CLAIR,
ROCHE DE FERMOY,
ENOCH POOR,
JOHN PATTERSON.

June 22.

General

Schuyler

retires

from Ti-

conde-

roga.

The temporising indecision and vain projects of the
council, and the complication and remoteness of the con-
tingencies on which they placed their reliance, discredited
such men as Generals Schuyler and St. Clair; but the
secret was that they were governed more by respect for
public opinion than their own understanding. It was a
desperate game played for popular applause, without a
trump in hand, and of course could not succeed; and the
losers were left without the consoling reflection that they
had exercised their best judgment. This determination
of the council being taken. Major-general Schuyler left
Ticonderoga, and recrossed Lake George to hurry for-
ward troops and provisions for the defence of the place ;
and ray own feelings and opinions at that crisis of our
situation, are faithfully pourtrayed in the fgllowing letter
written at the time.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 177

« Ticondero^a, II. q. June 25th, 1777. ,

•* My dear General,

*< I have not as yet, nor sliall I in future omit one op-
portunity of communicating to you every material occur-
rence in our department ; if my letters therefore should
not reach you, do not accuse me of negligence or ingra-
titude, but ascribe this circumstance to that insatiable
gulf, which has ever swallowed up all intelligence cither
to or from this post.

"The enemy by gradual movements, which have been
duly transmitted to General Schuyler, last evening ar-
rived at Crown point witli some vessels and a party of
their army, who have encamped on Chimney point. We
are induced to believe from a morning gun, which was
repeated down the lake, that their whole force is at hand,
and as they have lately taken several prisoners, and the
neighbouring inhabitants have had free access to this
camp, I am persuaded they will obtain a true state of our
weakness, which will indubitably precipitate their opera-
tions; in which case the post is inevitably lost; for if we
risk a battle, the inferiority of our numbers (without a
miracle, which we shiners have no right to expect) will
subject us to defeat and captivity; and if we retire to
Mount Independence, the scantiness of our provisions will
subject us to reduction by famine, as the enemy, when in
possession of this side of the lake, can easily remove the
obstructions up the South bay, and by their fleet cut oflf
our communication from Skeensborough. The militia
are at our command, but should we call tliem in, imme-
diate starvation is the consequence, as Gen. Schuyler has
lately assured us that we have no right or reason to expect
more than three hundred barrels of meat in addition, and
we cannot subsist our present small garrison longer than
seven weeks with what is on the ground. The distance
from whence our supplies are derived, and the difficulty
of transportation, both tend to embarrass us. In this cruel
VOL. I. Z

CHAP.
IV,

17g MEiMOIRS BY

CHAP, situation what can be done? The most laudable raeasu e
^^- in my opinion, would be to remove our heavy artillery
^'^'^^"^*^ and stores, with the convalescents and invalids of the
army, to Fort George. Being then light and unincum-
bered, we might, if hard pushed, effect a retreat to that
post, which would enable us to check the enemy's pro-
gress : on the contrary, should we attempt to support
this place in our present deficient situation, we lose allf
and leave the country defenceless and exposed. — What
then will there be to obstruct their favourite scheme — a
junction by the North river? Nothing that I can discern.
You remember the state of arms I transmitted you on my
first arrival here ; I am sorry to inform you that they
are not now better in quality, or superior in number. Our
men are harassed to extreme weakness by fatigue, and
the strong guards which we are now obliged to establish,
will in a little time quite break up their spirits and con-
stitutions. If fortitude, if enterprize, if perseverance or
temerity could avail, I would not complai)i ; but, in the
name of Heaven, what can be expected from a naked,
undisciplined, badly armed, unaccoutred body of men,
when opposed to a vast superiority of British troops.

" What can be done, the great St. Clair will effect;
but such is tiie weakness of our numbers, that he cannot
form any plan of defence. Of the two, I prefer death
to captivity; but be the event as it will, I shall not dis-
grace my acquaintance.

« O that you were here! the fertility of your soul might
save this important pass.

<« General Schuyler has been here for a few days, but
is now in Albany.

" I am, my dear General,
"Your much obliged and affectionate serv't,
" JA. WILKINSON.
" Major-general Gates.**

Every stratagem and enterprize was employed by Ge-
neral St. Clair, to ascertain the force and objects of the

GENERAL WILKmsON. ^79

enemy, but without effect; his movements were covered chap.
by his fleet, and his Indian scouts were spread through- '^•
out the wilderness whicli surrounded us. Our reconnoi-
tring parlies were either cut up and captured, or routed
and driven in.

186 MEMOIRS BY

CHAPTER V.

CHAP. The enemy appears before Ticonderogd. — Advances his right

■wing, and a sJdrmish takes place. — Coolness and caution
of General St. Clair.— ^Effects of anxietij and hurry in
action. — Reflections on the defence of works. ^—Stratagem
by which hformation is obtained from a prisoner. — The
Enemy shexvs himself on Mount Defiance, or Sugar hill.
— Council of war. — Retreat of the army to Castletown.—
Rear guard halts at Hubbartown, contrary to orders.
— Pursuit of the enemy. — Affair of Hubbartown, July
7th. — Reflections thereon. — Loss of the British on that oc-
casion.— General Burgoyne arrives at Skeensborough.—'
Captures the baggage of the army, and destroys the Ame-
rican flotilla. — Action between the 9th British regiment
and Colonel Long^s detachment. — General Reidesel detach-
ed towards Castletown and Pultney. — General Phillips
returns to Ticonderoga. — Testimonials to the character of
^neral St. Clair. — General Burgoyne^s despatch to Lord
George Germain. — Errors of engineers in the early set-
tlement of America. — General St. Clair joins General
Schuyler at Fort Edward. — Return of forces under Ge-
neral Schuyler. — Defciency of ammunition, and means
resorted to to supply it. — Deplorable condition of officers
and men, want of clothing, Sfc. — General Burgoyne is-
sues a proclamation, and General Schuyler a counter-
proclamation. — The calumnies against Generals Schuyler
and St. Clair noticed. — Deputy adjutant- general Wilkin-
son''s vindication of General St. Clair. — Fortified camp,
selected by chief engineer Kosciusko. — Audacious conduct
of an Indian. — Sudden reduction of the continental and
militia force by desertion. — Extracts from General Schuy-
ler^s letters. — Incursions of the Indians. — General Bur-
goyne^s arrival at Fort Edivard.-^Gallant conduct of

GENERAL WILKINSON. 181

Mijor Clarkaon, — Misconduct of the rear guard on the,
7uarch to Stillwater. — Good conduct of Major Hull. — Co-
lonel St. Leger^s expctlition noticed. — Captain fFarren*s
skirmish tvilh the Indians.- — General Schuyler takes a
position at the conjlncnce of the Mohawk with the Hud-
son.— General Burgnyne^s difficulties. — Expedition to
Jiennington. — Fatal consequences. — Schuyler and Stark's
letters. — Colonel St. Leger invests Fort Schuykr. — Gene-
ral Herkimer's affair. — Its effects. — St. Leger's retreat,
— His repoi't to General liurgoyne. — Rcflectiom on recent
events. — Conclusions. — The force under General Gates
7Vould have rendered the same service under General
Schuyler,^— The convention of Saratoga ascribed to Gene-
ral St. Clair. — Cause of General Schuyler's want of po-
pularity.— Party distinctions. — Reflections on the conduct
of Congress. — Its intemperate resolutions. — General
TFashington declines naming a successor to General
Schuyler.' — Unanimous and honourable acquittal of Ge-
neral St. Clair. — Similar acquittal of General Schtiyler.
— Conduct nf the then Congress compared with that of
President Madison. — The practice of dismissing officers
without trial reprobated. — Few instances of its being re-
sorted to by General Washington or Mr. Jefferson.

Notwithstanding this uncertainty respecting the chap.
intentions of Lieutenant-general Burgoyne, our prepara-
tions were not relaxed; the defences of tlie place were
enlarged and improved by general fatigues, and the ut-
most industry of men and officers. On the 30th of June First ap-
the enemy made his first appearance, and the advanced pearance

* * 01 the

corps debarked at a point on the west side of the lake, enemy
three miles from Ticonderoga and in full view; while ^f;^"J,f|g
another detacliment landed on the east side, directly op- roga.
positc, and a party of Indians and Canadians thrown for-
ward towards our lines, fell in with one of our scouting
parties, and routed it. On the 1st July the whole army
moved up the lake from Crown point; the British troops
landing on the western, and the Germans on the eastern
shore. On the 2d, the right wing, consisting of the Bri-

183 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, tish line, moved forward and took possession of Mount

^ • Hope, and also of an eminence about one thousand yards

Advances *" front of the old French lines, which had been repaired

his right and improved, and constituted our advanced works. Cap*

r^Itf.!,^!li. tain Fraser and his marksmen, with several hundred In-

5i aK.lI mi bll

takes dians, preceded this movement of the enemy, and whe-
^ ^^^' ther intoxicated or deceived by the ground (which being
perfectly flat and covered with brushwood, concealed our
lines of defence until close upon them) they charged a
picket of sixty men, within two hundred yards of a bat-
tery of eight pieces, forced it to retire with considerable;
loss, killing a man as he entered a sally port, and ad-
vancing within sixty, eighty and an hundred yards of
our works, scattered themselves along our front among
the brushwood, and kept up a brisk fire. Suspecting
from the weight of the enemy's column as it approached
Mount Hope, that they intended an assault, and that
this party had been sent forward to draw our fire and
produce disorder. General St. Clair directed the troops
to sit down on the banquet, with their backs to the
parapet, as well to cover them from the shot of the
enemy, as to prevent their throwing away their own
fire ; the officers in general marched on their ground in
rear of the banquet, while Major Dunn, an aid-de-camp
of the General, and myself, leaning on the parapet, kept
an eye to the movements of the enemy, who continued to
crawl upon us under cover of the brushwood: I at length
observed a light infantry man who had crept within forty
paces of the ditch, and was loading and firing from a
stump, behind which he had knelt. I stepped to a salient
angle of the line, and ordered a sergeant to rise and shoot
him : tlie order was obeyed, and at the discharge of the
musket, every man arose, mounted the banquet, and
without command fired a volley; the artillery followed
the example, as did many of the officers, from the cjIo-
nels down to subalterns, and notwithstanding the exer-
tions of the General, his aids and several other officers,
three rounds were discharged before they could stop the
firing,* and when the smoke dispersed^ the enemy were

GENERAL WILKINSON. 183

observed at three hundred yards distance, retreating hel- chap.
tcr skelter. Casting my eyes on the stun»p where I had ^•
perceived the infantry man whom I directed to be shot,
I discovered him lying prostrate on his back, and men-
tioned the circumstance to General St. Clair, who though
exceedingly heated by the conduct of the troops, which
he reprehended in the strongest language, replied to me
witli that mild philanthropy which distinguished his cha-
racter, « Send out a corporal and a file of meiif and let the
poor fellow be brought in and buriedJ' — But as the corpo-
ral approached the supposed dead man, he jumped up,
clubbed his musket, and exclaimed, << By Jasus, I killed
the man at the sally-port; a fair shot." The fellow was
brought in ; he belonged to the 47th light infantry, and
was intoxicated and insolent, refusing to give a word of
information.

Let the young ofllcer attend to a fact which occurred Reflec
on this occasion. Five hundred of tlie enemy were scat- 1}""^*'"
tered along our front, the most distant not exceeding one fence of
hundred yards, when a thousand infantry and 8 pieces ^^'o'"^
of artillery opened their fire upon them; and yet we
could never learn that we killed a single man, or wound-
ed more than a lieutenant ! ! ! This was the effect of hurry,
for I observed the infantry to fire at an elevation of
twenty degrees, and the artillery without direction. From
those causes, if the enemy had assaulted us at the time,
he would have succeeded with trifling loss ; and it is in
tliis manner works are generally carried ; for hurry ren-
ders a man blind and impotent, and -therefore one cool
soldier is worth three who are agitated. Assaults would
seldom or never succeed, if the assailed could be brought
to reserve their fire, until the assailants reach the coun-
terscarp, and then to take deliberate aim; unless indeed
resistance is overwhelmed by numbers, after the manner
of the monster Suwarrow, at the barbarian and bloody
scenes of Ismail.

At this late hour the General was unapprised of the
strength of the enemy, or their actual designs ; and this
knowledge was of vital importance to his ultimate mea-

484. MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, sures. To acquire such information as the prisoner might
"^^ possess, a Captain Johnson of the artillery (a son of Hi-
^''^^^^^^ bernia) was metamorphosed into a tory, and thrust into
the guard room with him: he soon became acquainted
with his countryman, and with the aid of a bottle of rum
which Johnson had concealed among his tattered appa-
rel, he before midnight procured from his companion,
who happened to be an intelligent old soldier, the number
and name of every corps under General Burgoyne, with
an estimate of their strength, afterwards found to be
pretty accurate. This information removed all doubts
relative to the force of the enemy, and their movements
indicated an « investissement/* Still General St. Clair
lacked resolution to give up the place, or in other words,
to sacrifice his character to the public good : for by se-
veral manoeuvres of his adversary on the 3d and 4th, he
was cheered with the hope that General Burgoyne in-
tended to hazard an assault, which he was determined to
await at all events; but on the 5th the enemy, contrary
The ene- to all expectation, shewed themselves on Mount Defiance,
my sliews ^,,j f^^,^^^ ^t a vesscl which lay in the strait. After re-
Sugar loaf connoitring his position attentively, tlie General turned
'^^"- to me, who happened to be alone with him, and observed,

« We must away from this, for our situation has become
Council a desperate one." A council of war was immediately
convened, consisting of Major-general St. Clair, Briga-
dier-generals Roche de Fermoy, Poor and Patterson, and
Colonel Long, who unanimously decided on an immediate
evacuation,* which was effected during the night as well

* " At a council of general officers, held at Ticonderoga, July 5thy
1777, present Major-general St. Clair, Brigadier-generals Roche de
Fermoy, Poor, Patterson, and Colonel commd't Long :

" General St. Clair represented to the council, that as there is every
reason to believe that the batteries of the enemy are ready to open
upon the Ticonderoga side, and that the camp is very much exposed
to their fire, and to be enfiladed on all quarters ; and as there is also
reason to expect an attack upon Ticonderoga and Mount Indepen-
dence at the same time, in which case neither would draw any sup-
port from the other; he desired their opinion, whether it would be
most proper to remove the tents to the low ground where they would

of war.

GENERAL WILKINSON: ^85

as the hurried preparation would permit, with troops the chap.
best of whom were but half formed,* and but for the de- ^'
cision and activity of General Burgoyne, we should have
escaped without the loss of men or baggage. But tiiis
unfortunate, gallant officer, who looked only to the ho-
nour of his profession and the interests of his sovereign,
divided his force without a moment's pause, and pur-
sued us in every direction of our retreat.

Our baggage, sick and convalescents, our ordnance^
hospital and other stores, with a quantity of provisions,
were despatched by the lake for Skeetisborough, under
the protection of Colonel Long and his regiment, and the
main body of the troops retired by an unfinished road
through the wilderness, twenty-four miles, to Hubbar-

be less exposed, and wait the attack at the Ticonderog-a lines— ."or
whether the whole of the troops should be drawn over to Mount In-
dependence, the more effectually to provide for the defence of that
post. At the same time the General begged leave to inform them,
that the whole of our force consisted of 2,089 cfFeclives rank and file;
including 124 artificers unarmed, besides the corps of artillery, and
about 900 militia, who have joined us, and cannot stay but a few
days.

" The council were unanimously of opinion, that it is impossible
with our force to defend Ticonderoga and Mount Independence, and
that the troops, cannon and stores, should be removed this night, if
possible, to Mount Independence.

•'2d. — Whether, after the division of the army at Ticonderoga haVe
retreated to Mount Independence, we shall be in a situation to de-
fend that post ; or in case it cannot be defended, if a retreat into the
country will be practicable :

" The council are unanimously of opinion, that as the enemy hate
already nearly surrounded us, and there remains nothing more to in-
vest us completely but their occupying the neck of land betwiit the
lake and the East creek, which is not more than three quarters of a
mile over, and possessing themselves of the narrows betwixt that and
Skeensborough, and thereby cutting oft" all communication with tlie
country, a retreat ought to be undertaken as soon as possible, ahd
thai we shall be very fortunate to effect it.

(Signed) " AKTIIUK ST. CLAIR,

" ROCHE DE FEUMOY,

'• ENOCH POOR,

•' JOHN PATTERSON,

•' PIERS E LONG."

vot. i- X a

185 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, town, where the front arrived about one o'clock ; here
^" we halted for the rear guard and stragglers, until five
Retreat of o'clock, at which time receiving advice of their approach,
the army by Major Dearborn,* the General marched for Castle-
towi"'^^ ^ town, six miles further, which we reached at dusk. A
party of the enemy had preceded us a few hours ; a skir-
mish had ensued, and we found an aged citizen killed and
scalped, and one of the British infantry mortally wound-
ed. Colonel Warner, with his corps of about 150 men,
was left at Huhbartown, with express orders from the
General to join the rear guard, when it got up, and to

„ advance within one and an half miles of Castletown, and

Rear

guard there to take post for the night ; but when Colonel Francis
H^ubbar- ^'^^ Commanded the rear guard joined Warner, they con-
town, con- eluded to dispense with a positive order of the Gejieral,
ord«-s^" and to spend the night at Huhbartown.

As soon as General Burgoyne discovered our retreat,
he put his fleet and army in motion : Brigadier- general
Fraser with his elite, supported by Major-general Reide-
sel and a German corps, was detached in pursuit of our
main body, and the General in person pushed after our
water craft with his armed vessels, having garrisoned
Ticonderoga, with the 62d regiment, and the German
regiment of Prince Frederick, and directed the rest of
his army to follow him by corps, as fast as they could
be put in motion, without regard to place in the line.
The wind being favourable, lie overtook our flotilla at
Skccnsborough in the afternoon, captured two of our
armed vessels, and forced us to destroy the others with
our batteaux, baggage, stores and provisions ; and tlie
detaclnncnt under Colonel Long then retired up Wood
creek to Fort Ann. General Burgoyne took post at
Skeensborough.

Brigadier-general Fraser, after a vigorous pursuit,
encamped several miles in rear of Warner, but renewed
his march early the next morning, and about 7 o'clock

* Since secretary of war and major-generaJ, who belonged to the
rearguard, and had been sent forward to the General to announce its.
situation.

GENERAL WILKINSON. i97

reached Hubbartown, Just as Warner bad paraded his chap.
men to follow General St. Clair, who was under arms ^•
waitinff his arrival, wlien tlie firinff commenced, wliich 7!P^"^
was confined to small arms, and the platoons were dis- Hubbar-
tinctly heard. Two militia regiments which were ex- *°""*
ccedingly insubordinate and seditious, had the preceding
evening taken a diverging path, and encamped three or
four miles in our rear. The first thought of the General
was to support Warner by those corps, under the com-
mand of a Colonel Bellows; for which purpose his aids-
de-camp. Majors Dunn,* and Livingston,f were hurried
off with positive orders, and assurances of support : he
then ordered the troops to be told off, and the officers
posted for action, and he was exhorting them to cou-
rageous conduct, when 1 perceived a manifest repugnance
In tlie corps to turn about and march upon the enemy ;
even one of the brigadiers was open in his opposition to
the measure. In the mean time Majors Dunn and Living-
ston met the militia under Bellows, hurrying away from
the scene of action to the main body, and finding them
equally deaf to commands and intrcaties, they pushed
forward towards the field of battle, which they had near-
ly reached, when they met our troops flying from the
enemy, and were informed by a Captain Chadwick, a
gallant officer who had been engaged, tliat the conflict
had terminated, which being warranted by the cessation
of the fire, they returned to the General and made re-
port.

Colonel Warner was a hardy valiant soldier, but un-
educated and a stranger to military discipline; his in-
subordination at Hubbartown exemplifies the danger
and misfortunes which attend the disobedience of mi-
litary commands ; for, if he had obeyed tlie orders
he received, our corps would have been united, and, as
the discipline of the enemy could have availed them little
in a mountainous country covered with wood, we should

* Long since dead.

f The honourable Brockholst Livingston, now a judge of the su*
prcme court of the United States.

^g^ MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, infallibly have dismembered, and probably captured, the
^- flower of the British army. Siich an event would have
^*''^^^**^ recovered the drooping popularity of General St. Clair,
and filled the country with clamorous exultation ; but let
it be considered with a view to subsequent consequences;
would it have benefited the cause of tlie revolution ? It may
at first sight appear paradoxical, but I believe the occur-
rence to have been fortunate, because, had we been success-
ful in that instance, the career of General Burgoyne would
have been arrested, his operations would liave been con-
fined to the borders of the lakes for the campaign, and
the whole British army saved from tlie convention of Sa-
ratoga! Vain, short-sighted and impious man ! how often
does he complain of the inscrutable ways of God, when
the heart should overflow with gratitude for his mercy :

« For good he is, supremely good.
Nor less when he denies ;
E'en crosses from his sovereign hand
Are blessings in disguise."

In the affair of Hubhartown, tlie courage of the comba-
tants was conspicuous, and on both sides they bled freely;*
that excellent oflicer, the earl of Balcarras, who led the
British light infantry, and made his <* debut" in arms on
that day, afterwards informed me, that at the first fire
which he received, twenty-one men of the leading platoon
were knocked down, and himself shot through the arm j
Major Grant, an officer of high reputation, who led the
grenadiers, being at the same time killed. Warner and
Francis endeavoured to atone for their fault by a manly
and obstinate resistance, which they maintained for forty
minutes ; but our troops were under the necessity of
yielding to numbers,f and finally gave up the ground :

* Our loss in this afTair was never correctly ascertained, but it did
rot exceed 200 in killed, wounded and missing-; that of the enemy
was reported at 222.

t General Burgoyne makes the American force 2,000, and Briga-
(Jier-gencral Fraser's only 860 ; but he docs not in this number in-

GENERAL Wlt^KINSON. 189

Francis paid the penalty of his lilc, but Warner lived to chap,
participate in General Stark's triumph at Bennington. ^

General Burgoyne's anticipation of General St. Clair ^^^j,, ,.,.
at Skeensborough, information of which he received at cans re.
Castletown, obliged him to change his line of march, and
by a circuitous route through Pawlct, Manchester and
Bennington, he struck the Hudson river at Batten-kill,
and joined General Scliuylcr at Fort Edward, on the 12th General
July. The night of the 7th being extremely dark and j^j'^g
rainy, one of the guards took up and reported to head 9^"' ral
quarters a young man suspected of being a spy. I visit-
ed the guard, and found the prisoner to be a Lieutenant '
Lyonf of the militia, who had joined us to offer his ser-
vices as a guide, of whom we stood in great need, being
strangers to the country, which was in general a wilder-
ness, a town having sometimes barely a cabin or two to
to distinguish it; even Bennington, the seat of the go-
vernment of the Hampshire grantees, could not number
more than a dozen log cabins, whicii were however sur-
rounded by a considerable tract of improved ground.
Lieutenant Lyon, an active, ardent young man, was ex-
tremely zealous, and accompanied us as long as his ser-
vices were useful : he had been stationed the preceding
campaign, with a party of militia, at Otter creek, in a
subordinate capacity; tlie post was evacuated without
orders, and Lieutenant Lyon has been censured for that

elude General Reidesel and the Germans which he led, amounting to
1500, of whom General Burgoyne says, "the Germans pressed for a
share in the glory, and they arrived in time to obtain it." — State of the
Expedition from Canada, Appendix, p. xxxiii. The number of the
Germans employed on this detachment was three battalions, (see the
Memoirs of General Reidesel, published in the German language at
Berlin in 1800,) whereas the force of the Americans consisted of
Warner's regiment, which eight days before did not exceed 173 sick
and well, and the rear guard under Francis, which were detailed at
310 on the evening of the 5t.h July; therefore, allowing every man to
have been present, and adding thereto 117 stragglers, the whole num-
ber would not exceed 600, which was in fact more than we had on
the ground.
I Since Mr. Matthew Lyon of Congress.

ido

MEMOIRS BY

CHAP.
V.

Auction
between
the 9th
British
regt. and
Colonel
Long's
detach-
ment.

transaction, although he opposed the measure, and on an
investigation was acquitted of blame.

The corps which accompanied General Burgoyne to
Skeensborough, were spread out to keep up and increase
the panic produced by the loss of Ticonderoga ; the 9th
regiment, under Lieutenant-colonel Hill, was sent ia
pursuit of Colonel Long and his detachment, consisting
of the invalids and convalescents, with his regiment,
about 150 strong, making in the whole four or five hun-
dred men. Colonel Long, finding himself pressed, ad-
vanced and met Lieutenant-colonel Hill, and an action
ensued, in which the British officer claimed the victory}
but it is a fact, that the 9th regiment had been beaten^
and was retreating, and but for the entire failure of Co-
lonel Long's ammunition, the Lieutenant-colonel must
have been made prisoner, as well as Captain Montgo-
mery of that regiment, who was wounded and left on the
field, when, as General Burgoyne tells us, " Colonel Hill
found it necessary to change his position in the heat of ac-
tion;" but in truth, when his corps was obliged to re-
treat, and Colonel Long, for want of ammunition, could
not pursue him.

A few days after these events. General Burgoyne re-
called Fraser's corps and the 9th regiment to Skeensbo-
rough, where he established his head quarters, detach-
ed Reidesel with a German corps towards Castletown
and Pultney, and sent back General Phillips to Ticonde-
roga to press forward his water and land transport, with
his artillery, provisions and munitions of war of every
species by way of Fort George: the troops under his
own immediate orders, were occupied in clearing Wood
creek, and repairing the road to St. Ann, and toward
Fort Edward; where General Schuyler had taken post,
and was making the most active exertions to collect and
embody a force to resist the progress of the enemy.

Although the honourable, impartial and intelligent part
of the world, have long since done justice to the military
character and patriotism of General St. Clair, in relation
to his conduct in the abandonment of Ticonderoga ; I

GENERAL WILKINSON. i9i

must be permitted to record a few testimonials to shew, CHAT.
that if lie was at all culpable, it was for liis temerity in ^"
attempting to bold the place as long as he did. Tbe ge-
neral return [Jl] of tbe 28tb June, wbicb, b(Jfore his cva-
cuatidn of tbe post, will sbew that his continental troop§
fit for action were sbort of 3,000, and that the only rein-
forcement he received afterwards was 900 militia, on the
6th July, under no specific obligation for service, and it
will appear from General Burgoyne's defence before the
House of Commons, p. 17, tliat the force of the enemy
was 7,200 troops of tbe line, independent of his Indians,
irregulars and seamen, and it will also appear in tiicsc
sheets, tbat the American troops were badly armed, mi-
serably clothed, and sbort of provison ; that tbey were
necessarily divided between Ticonderoga and Mount In-
dependence, which places were separated by Lake Cham-
plain; and tbat his whole force was insufficient for the
defence of eitber, ten thousand men having been demand-
ed for that service by botb General Schuyler and General
Gates ;* that on the night of the ith July, the enemy had
taken possession of Mount Defiance or the Sugar-loaf hill,
which General St. Clair had not force to occupy, from
whence botb Mount Independence and Ticonderoga were
effectually commanded, and that tbe enemy's batteries
would have been opened upon him the next day, which
last facts are sustained by General Burgoyne's despatch
to Lord George Germain, dated Skeensborougb, July 11,
1777, of wbich tbe following is an extract:

**Jultj 5th. — Lieutenant Ttviss, the commanding en^- General
licer, 7vas ordered to reconnoitre Sugar hill, on the south gpyne's
side of tlie communication from Lake George into Lake despatch.
Ghamplainf which had been possessed in the night by a party
of infantry; it appeared at first to be a very advantageous
postf and it is now known that the enemy had a council
some time ago about the expediency of holding it : but the
idea was rejected upon the supposition that it was imposs^i-

* See their testimony on the trial of General St. Clair.

193 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, ble for a corps to be established tliere in force. Lieutenant-

^' Tiviss reported this hill to have the entire command of the

works and buildings both of Ticonderoga and Mount Inde-

pendeiice, at the distance of about 1400 ijards from the

former and 1500 from the latter; that the ground might be
levelled so as to receive cannon, and that the road to convfiy
them, although difficult, might be made practicable in twentif-

four hours : this hill also commanded in reverse the bridge
of communication — sarv the exact situation of the vessels,
nor could the enemy during the day make any further move-
ment or preparation 7vithout being discovered, and evek

HAVING THEIR NUMBERS COUNTED.'*

Yet from tlie indolence natural to man, and his dispo-
sition to trust to appearances, this height had been pre-
viously neglected by the French, British, and American
commanders; and a similar error took place at Fort Du-
quesne and Fort Pitt, both built on the same site, yet ab-
solutely commanded on three sides j indeed such appears
to have been the common error of the engineers in the
early settlements of this continent, from Canada to Flo-
rida, from Michilimackinac to Natchez, and hence the
principle, that a military commander should determine,
never to trust to appearances or the judgment of any
man, where it is practicable for him to examine and judge
for himself.

I regret that the limits of these memoirs arc too cir-
cumscribed, for the scrutiny of the numerous military ope-
rations which have fallen under my observation, and the
exposition of the grounds and motives on which they have
been condemned and vindicated. Pressed by circumstances,
whatever may be my inclinations, the pages to which my
work is necessarily confined, would not be sufficient for
this purpose alone; but as I have rendered justice to the
discernment and decision of General Burgoyne, I may
hereafter indulge a few brief reflections on what I have
considered his errors.

General St. Clair found General Schuyler at Fort
Edward, in deplorable circumstances, but with a firm

GENERAL WILKINSON.

mind and unshaken spirits ; he \va.'5 actually deficient in
tijc essential article of ammunition,* and lead was taken
from the windows and shops of the inhabitants of Alba-
ny;! our powder lay at Fort George, but this the enemy
permitted us to remove, together with our artillery, pro-
visions and munitions of war j General Schuyler's whole
force, before he was joined by General St. Clair, con-
sisted of about six hundred continental troo])s, and a
smaller number of militia, and this, five days after Gene-

* A Return of Ordnance and Stores in the Laboratort/, taken at Fort
Ed-ward, July ISth, 1777.

i93

3 C
- «*-

^ z

5

ij

•A

o
'or.

u
y

Boxes contain'i?
3130 wt. of
Musket ball.

"6

a
ij

o

5
o

P-

i2

c

S

Skeins of mus-
ket cartiidge
paper.

> .

<u
■■*- C

c
£ ^

OS • -

LI ■^

Reams of mus-
ket cartridge
paper.

cS

'" c

4)
•-_ c.

s a
a.

40

31

276

3500

94

22

10

9

"Sir. — The above return is an exact one of the ordnance stores at
this place. I have sent you per the bearer two reams of writing
paper.

** I am, Sir, with respect,

" Your obedient humble servant,
(Signed) " JASP. MAUD. GIDLEY, Conductor.

*' To Colonel WUk'mson, B. A. G."

■j- Extract of a letter to Colonel Leivis,* Deputy Q. j\L General, Albany.

" The citizens of Albany only can supply our immediate exigen-
cies ; recourse must therefore be had to the committee, begging their
interposition to collect such lead as is in the city : the lead from win-
dows and weights may perhaps aflbrd a supply for the present. As
soon as it is collected, Mr. Rensselaer will have it made into ball, and
send it up without a moment's delay. Should a wagon be sent ofT
with one box, as soon as it is ready it must be pushed ofl^ also all
the buck shot.

•• By order of Major-general Schuyler.

"J. LANSING, JcN.t St'cretai-y."

CHAl'.
V

• Since governor of the state of New York, and late Major-general
5n the army U. S.

t Since chancellor of the state of New York.

voj.. I. B b

19^ MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, ral Bur^oync had reached Skeensborough, within a day's
^' forced march of liim, with five thousand veteran troops
frcsli and flushed with success. But General St. Clair
led to his assistance two thousand continental troops* of
the best appointment; Brigadier-general Nixon joined
him the same day with about six hundred effectives, and
the militia, encouraged by these appearances and roused
by the importunities of General Schuyler, turned out
daily from tlie adjacent county of Albany, and on the
20th our returns [B] exhibited a respectable force; but we
were wretchedly found in all things, as General Schuy-
ler's lettersf to General Washington, of the 10th and 14th

* The men were in a wretched condition from want of clothing,
and the officers had lost every thing ; the General had on all he had
saved, and I was in a similar predicament.

f Extract of letters from Major-General Schuyler to Gen. Washvigton.

« Fort Ed-ward, July 10th, 1777.
" I am this moment favoured with your excellency's letter of the
6th instant. You will before this have received my sevei-al letters,
advising your excellency of the evacuation of Ticonderoga* and the
distressed situation we are in. We are by no means now in a better;
rather worse, as desertion is frequent, (ieneral Nixon's brigade is
not yet come up, nor do I get a reinforcement of the militia. General
St. Clair, from whom I heard for the first time about ten o'clock this
morning (copy of his letter I enclose) is about fifty miles east of me ;
if he should go to Bennington, as I fear he will be obliged to do, he
will be still farther oft", and the more he gets into the inhabited part
of the country the greater will the desertion from the army be, which
is already much, very much diminished by numbers going off. I am
very apprehensive General St. Clair will not join me with more than
one thousand men. Gen. Nixon's corps, I am informed, is under that.
Thus with less than three thousand continental troops, and not quite
one thousand militia, I am to face a powerful enemy from the north,
flushed- with success; and pressed at the same time from the west by
a body which, from repeated information (copies whereof I have not
time to send), is respectable, and already at Oswego."

" Fort Ed-:i.-ard, July Uth, 1777.
"Colonel Warner, with the remains of his regiment, I have order-
ed to remain on what are commonly called the New Hampshire grants,
, together with the militia from that part of this state ; he has direc-

tions to drive off all tUe cattle and carriages, but whether ^le will be-

GENERAL WILKINSON. i^

July set forth. Wc re-occupied Fort Ann on llie I3tli, cilAr.
and employed every exertion on tlic portaj^c from Fort ^'^
George, to remove the public property from that post;
in the mean time, the general officers reconnoitred the
neighbourhood of Fort Edward, for a strong defensive
position, and exerted all their faculties to supply the
wants of the troops and to reanimate the country.

Lieutenant-general Burgoyne, on reaching Skeensbo- Genenil
rough, had issued a proclamation, summoning the inha- isg,ies a"^
bitants of the Hampshire grants (now Vermont) to meet proda-
Colonel Skeene at Castletown, for the puiposc of making General
their submission. To counteract the effect of this sum- Sclmyler
jiions. General Schuyler issued a counter-proclamation,* proclama-
to which I refer the reader. tion.

able to effect it is a doubt, as 1 am informed a verij ffvcat proportion of
the inhabitants are taking protections from General JSitrgot/ne, as most of
those in this quarter are also ivilling to do.

"Desertion prevails, and disease gains ground ; nor is it to be won-
dered at, for we have neither tents, houses, barns, boards or any shel-
ter except a little brush ; every rain that falls, and we have it in great
abundance almost every day, wets the men to the skin. We are be-
sides in great want of every kind of necessaries, provision excepted.
Camp kettles we have so few, that wo cannot afford one to twenty
men."

* " By Philip Schuyler, esq. Major-general in the army of the United
States of America, and commander in chief of the northern de-
partment, to the inhabitants of (Jastletown, of Hubbarlown, Rut-
land, Tinmouth, Paulett, Wells, CJrenville, with the neighbour-
ing districts bordering on White creek, Camden, Cambridge, &c.

''Whereas Lieutenant-general Burgoyne, commanding an army of
British troops, did by a written paper by him subscribed, bearing
dat© at Skeensborough house on the 10th day of July instant, require
you to send from your several townships deputations consisting often
persons or more from each township, to meet Colonel Skeene at Cas.
tlctown, on Wednesday, .luly 15, at 10 in the morning, for sundry pur-
poses in said paper mentioned, and that you were not to fail in paying
obedience thereto, under pain of military execution : —

" Whatever, my counU) men, may be the ostensible reasons for such
a meeting, it is evidently intended by the enemy then to prevail on
you, by threats and promises, to forsjke the cause of your injured
Country; to assist them in forcing slaver)- on the United States of

196 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. But whilst these patriotic, honourable men* were thus
^" deliberating and acting for the safety of the country, the
malignant passions of the human heart were put in mo-
tion, to depreciate their worth, to impair their influence,
and destroy their utility. These perverse, uncharitable

America; and, under the specious pretext of affording you protec-
tion, to bring on you that misery, which their promises of protection
drew on the deluded inhabitants of New Jersey who were weak
enough to confide in them, but who soon experienced their fallacy,
by being treated, indiscriminately with those virtuous citizens who
came forth in defence of their country, with the most wanton barba-
rity, and such as hath not hitherto disgraced barbarians. They cruelly
butchered, without distinction of age or sex; ravished cliildren from
ten to women of eighty years of age ; they burnt, pillaged and de-
stroyed whatever came into their power, nor did those edifices dedi-
cated to the worship of Almighty God, escape their sacrilegious fury.
Such were the deeds, such they were incontestibly proved to be,
which have marked the British arms with the m.ost indelible stains. —
But they having, by the blessing of Divine Providence on our arms,
been obliged totally to abandon that state, they left those that were
weak or wicked enough to take protection under -them, to bemoan
their credulity, and to cast themselves on the mercy of their injured
countrymen. Such will be your fate, if you lend a willing ear to their
promises, which I trust none of you will do ; but lest any of you should
so far forget the duty you owe to your country as to join with, or in
any manner of way assist or give comfort to, or hold correspondence
with, or take protection from the enemy — be it known to each and
every of you the inhabitants of said townships, or any other the inha-
bitants of the United States, that you will be considered and dealt
with as traitors to said states, and that the laws thereof will be put
in execution against any person so oftisnding with the utmost rigour.
And I do hereby strictly enjoin and command all officers, civil and
military, to apprehend or cause to be apprehended, all such offen-
ders : and I do further strictly enjoin and command such of the mili-
tia of said townships, as have not yet marched, to do so without de-
lay, to join the army under my command, or some detachment
thereof.

" Given under my hand at head quarters. Fort Edward, July 13tb,
1777.

«' PHILIP SCHUYLER.
" Cy the General's command,

" J. B. LIVINGSTON, Aid-de-camp:'

* The following testimonial of candour and magnanimity, may ap-
pear romantic in these selfish days ; yet being no fiction, it is offered

GENERAL WILKINSON. ^97

dispositions of the Inimaii breast originate with tlie Devils ruAP.
and under the impulses of avarice and a passion fur ^'

to the meditation of those, who having founded rank on intrigue,
falsehood and perfidy, are now ready to assassinate for pre-eminence.
"Sir, "Moses's Creek, July 25th, 1777.

" General Schuyler was good enough to read to me part of a letter
he received last night from you. I cannot recollect that any of my
oflicers ever asked my reasons for leaving Ticonceroga; but as I
liave found the measure much decried, 1 have often expressed myself
in this manner: "That as to myself 1 was perfectly easy ; I was con-
scious of the uprightness and propriety of my conduct, and despised
the vague censure of an uninformed populace;" but had no allusion
to an order from General Schuyler for my justification because no
such order existed.

" The calumny thrown on General Schuyler, on account of that mat-
ter, has given me great uneasiness. I assure you, Sir, there never
was any thing more cruel and unjust ; for he knew nothing of the
matter until it was over, more than you did at Kingston. It was done
in consequence of a consultation with the other general officers, witli-
out the possibility of General Schuyler's concurrence ; and had the
opinion of that council been contrary to what it was, it would never-
theless have taken place, because I knew it to be impossible to defend
the post with our numbers,

" In my letter to Congress from Fort Edward, in which I gave them
an account of the retreat, is this paragraph : — *It was my original dc.
sign to i-etreat to this place, that I might be betwixt General Bur-
goyne and the inhabitants, and that tlie militia might have something
in this quarter to collect to. It is nowcflected, and the militia are
coming in, so that 1 have the most sanguine hopes that the progress
of the enemy will be checked, and I may have the satisfaction to ex-
perience that although 1 have lost a post I have eventually saved a state.*

" Whether my conjecture is right or not, is uncertain, but had our
army been made prisoners, which it certainly would have been, the
Slate of New York would have been much more exposed at present.

" I proposed to General Schuyler, on my arrival at Fort Edward,
to have sent a note to the printer, to assure the people, he had no
part in abandoning what they considered their strong holds ; he
thought it was not so proper at that time, but it is no more than what
I owe to truth and to him to declare, that he was totally unacquaint-
ed with the matter; and I should be very glad that tliis letter or any
part of it you may think proper to communicate, may convince the
unbelieving. Simple unbelief is easily and soon convinced, but when
malice or envy occasions it, it is needless to attempt conviction.
" I am. Sir,

' *' Your very humble and ob't serv't

'••ARTUl'K ST. CL.^llJ
" The ffon, John Jcti', iTin^sfon."

198 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, office, appear to be gaining ground in tiie AmeiHcan coni-
^' munity ; they spring out of partial interests, envy, and
invidious feelings, and are cherished by intrigue and am-
bition; to repress them, they must be rendered not only
unfashionable, but abhorrent to all minds and hearts, and
to effect these purposes, under the government of these
states, we must appeal to the source of all good and jiU evil
in politics — the people. Let them elect for their execu-
tive magistrates, men unbiassed by party prejudice or
factious influence, above sordid interests and sinister am-
bition, with public good for their object and public vir-
tue for their guide: and under such auspices the Ameri-
can community may be restored to its ancient sympathy,
integrity, good will, and good humour.

The calumnies daily invented and industriously circu-
lated against Generals Schuyler and St. Clair, exceeded
all precedent, and stood unrivalled until the flood-gates
of slander were opened against myself: it was proclaim-
ed that they were traitors to the country, and acted in
concert with the enemy, and the ignorant and the credu-
lous were led to believe that they had received an im-
mense treasure " not in Mexican gold jfdckcd on mules,**
but in silver balls, fired by Burgoyne into St. Clair's
camp, and by his order picked up and transmitted to
Schuyler at Fort George!!! Extravagant as was this
tale, it was implicitly believed, and several persons ques-
tioned me with much gravity as to the fact! But those
gentlemen, supported by conscious rectitude, looked
down with pity on the delusions of their countrymen, in-
vited an investigation of their conduct, and persevered
in the faithful discharge of their duty.

The relation in which I stood to General St. Clair, a
conviction of the injuries heaped on him, and a natural
inclination to share the misfortunes of those I love, de-
termined me to address the following letter to a Boston
editor, 1 believe Edes or Gill, with the intention of check-
ing the current of slander, or to divert a portion of it to
myself; the motives and the sentiment of this appeal

OENEBAL WILKINSON. 199

gave it poimlarity — it was reprinted in the Pennsylvania chap.
Packet, and produced the desired effect.* ^•

• '* Motea's Creek, H. Q. Juhj 28/A, 1777.

" Sir,

" It is with astonishment and concern, that I observe in yoor last
papers, a vein of prejudice against General St. Clair, incurred by his
retreating from Ticonderojja, equally impolitic, ungenerous and in-
human; for it is certainly impolitic to depreciate the influence of aa
officer high in command — it is truly ungenerous to put the worst con-
struction on every incident attending the retreat — and it is inhuman
to murder a man's reputation without giving him an opportunity ol"
vindication.

" If General St. Clair has transgressed, he will surely answer for it
at a proper tribunal. Do not then prejudge him, or disgrace your
paper with the malicious inuendoes of every envious talkative puppy.
Be charitable enough to suspend your opinion for a little time, and a
scrutiny of his conduct, which General St. Clair has already claimed,
will satisfy you and the public.

" Vour correspondent from Manchester (it pains me to expose an
officer) furnishes you with a gross misrepresentation; for be assured
that I myself ordered his regiment to strlite their tents one full hour
before a man moved from Ticonderoga, though it is equally true, I
could not find the Colonel. 1 suppose instead of attending the embar-
kation of the stores, he was "packing 7ip.'" I am obliged too to inva-
lidate the authority of your gentleman of cap.icity and character, who
" had the first opportunity of knowing there were upwards of four
thotisund effectives in the garrison," since the returns of the army are
made to me, and I declare to God and the world that there were, ex-
clusive of about seven or eight hundred militia who had just arrived,
only two thousand and eighty-four men for duty, " believe it who will."
"You observe that "tlie greatest number of the enemy, allowing-
the accounts of those whose business it is to make it as large as ap-
pearances would allow, could not exceed 6000; it was in all probabili-
ty sliort of that number." — The m.ilice of this suggestion time will
evince. I wish we may not find the enemv one thousand stronger.—
The fifty malicious questions which follow this observation, are too
pitiful to be answered.

" I join with you in thinking there ought to be an inquiry after the
arms and clothes you mention; for they really never reached Ticonde-
roga; thoHgh your interrogations on that head are improperly direct-
ed and maliciously pointed.

" Believe me. Sir, if virtue or justice has existence, the man who
stands condemned for retreating from Ticonderoga, will ere long
be thanked for the s.ilvation of three thousand men, who, instead of
being in captivilv, arc now opposing our enemy.

" I am. Sir, your obedient servant,

" JA. ^YILKl^'so^^ z>t/'. .f^•^ c.-ti.*'

200 MEIWIOIRS BY

CHAP. The ill-fktf!id Thadd^us Kosciusko was at that time our
^' chief engineer, and for months had been the companion
Fort Tied ^^ "^)^ blanket : he selected a position for a fortified camp
camp se- aboiit four miles below Fort Edward, at Moses's creek,
Koscius^ ^vhere the waters of the Hudson river are separated by
ko- an island. On the 22d we called in our outposts, and re-

tired to that position, where it was proposed to await
the approach of the enemy. During this da>'s march an
Indian shot and scalped an inhabitant, who was removing
his family out of the way of the enemy, between the left
flank guard and the column : he was seen and pursued,
but made his escape, and the audacity of the act pro-
duced a general sensation : the troops were now orga-
nised into divisions, and occupied the opposite sides of
tlie river, the riglit under Major-general St. Clair, the
left under Major-general Arnold, who had recently joined
us; and ground was broken on the island for a battery
to command the pass : the pttsition had been selected be-
cause the approximation of the hills to the river, formed
a defde susceptible of defence against a superior force.

But about this time the slanders to which I have al-
luded, and which were unfortunately patronized by fac-
tious men, who had even then found their way into
Congress, produced a very general defection among the
troops; a frightful desertion ensued, and on the 24th in
the short space of five days, our continental force was
reduced to less than 3000, and our militia to about 1300
men, and these subject to no effectual restraint; of the
former, the greatest part were badly armed, and both
men and officers half naked, sickly, and destitute of com-
forts. In this state of things, the hostile Indians were
let loose by the British commander, and penetrated the
frontier settlements, committing murders and spreading
terror over the country. Our troops, wiio were all le-
vies of the preceding winter, instead of recovering confi-
dence, lost spirit ; and the panic became more general
and impressive than ever. General Schuyler's corres-
pondence at this period, will best explain the difficulties
by which he was surrounded, and the patriot zeal and

GENERAL WILKINSON. 201

manly resolution with wliich he met thcm.^'^Wc appeared chap,
to be approaching another crisis, but there was nothing ^

• Extract of a letter from General Schuyler to the Council of Sofetj of
J^etu York, dated Fort Edv/urd, Jiily 2Ut, 1777.

"The inhabitants of Tryon county, as you will have perceived by
copies of some letters which I have had the honour to iransoiit you,
are ah'cady too much inclined to lay down their arms, and take -what
terms the enemy may please to afford them. Half of the militia of this
county, and the neighbouring state of Massachusetts, we have been
under the necessity of dismissing, lest the whole should go ; and I
believe what we have left will only remain a few days. The continental
troops I have in this quarter, are under three thousand, and the ene-
my increasing with tories, who daily join them in very considerable
numbers.''

From the Same to the Same— 'dated Moses''s Creek, 4 miles beloio Fort
Ed-.vard, July 24rA, 1777.

" We have not now above thirteen hundred militia on the ground.
I wish we had the most distant prospect to detain one-half of those
above five or six days. Our continental force is between twenty'-
seven and twenty-eight hundred. With this small body we have to
encounter a much more numerous body of the enemy, well-appointed,
flushed with success, and daily increasing by the acquisition of the
tories. Happy I should still be in some degree, if I could close the
melancholy tale here; but every letter I receive from the county of
Tryon advises me, that the inhabitants of it will lay down their arms
unless I support them with continental troops. From what 1 have
said, you will see the impossibility of my complying with their re
quest. The district of Scohary has also pointedly intimated, that
unless continental troops arc sent them, they will also submit to the
enemy."

Extract of a letter from the Same to his excellency General Washinffton-^
dated Saratoga, July 2Qth, 1777-

*' I believe your excellency has spared me all the troops you prudently
conld; but we are still too weak in this quarter, especially as sick-
ness decreases us with great rapidity. Our men living entirely upon
fresh meat occasions much disease. Salt meat we have none of, nor
is any to be got in this quarter; if it can be spared from any post be-
low I wish a quantity of it may be ordered up."

Extract of a letter from the Same to Major-general Heath — dated Sara-
toga, July 28th, 1777.
" Every effort of the enemy would be in vain, if our exertions
equalled our abilities, if our virtue was not sinking under that infi*.
VOL. I. C r

203 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, ill the prospect to appal any person, wlio witnessed the
^' scenes which hail passed in the Jerseys, six and eight
months before.

Under the circumstances of the moment, however, it
was deemed expedient to retire from Moses's creek, be-
cause it woald carry us nearer to our resources, and re-
move us beyond striking distance from the enemy. The
camp v/as struck on the 30th, but previously to the
march, 160 men had been detached from the left wing to
destroy a bridge a mile or two in the rear. General

mous venality wliicli pervades throughout, and threatens us -with
ruin. America cannot be subdued by a foreign force, but her owr.
corruption may bring on the fatal catastrophe."

Extract of a letter from the Same to the Committee of Albany— dated
Head Quarters, Jlloses^s Creek, July 28th, 1777.

"I wish people to consider that we have had a larger body of the
enemy on this side of Lake George, when Fort William Henry was
taken;* that tiie British troops were on the point of retiring from
Vort Edward; and that many concluded the covmtry was lost. A
little reflection convinced them, that the danger was n:t so great as
they first imagined, and they resumed tjieir spirits. I hope they will
do so now. I wish them to consider, that if General Ei'-goyne should
even get as far down as Half-moon, that he will run himself into the
greatest danger, and that in all probability his whole army will be
destroyed. It appears most evident to me, tlialif we exert ourselves
all will go well. The troops under my command are in good spirits,
and the militia also.

"Is it becoming rational beings, when a misfortune has happened
to them, to despond and not to counteract the evil? Surely not; and
if the militia would do their duty, we should soon make the enemy
repent their ever having come into the country, and retreat with infi-
nitely more loss than we have experienced; but if the militia will sit
still, folding their arms, and not make use of those exertions which
God has put in their power to make use of for their own defence, they
certainly will become the victims of an enemy, whose very mercies
are cruelty. How, Sir, can you think that I can spare men, when i
have applied to you for men? Exert yourselves! shew that you are
men, and you will find men in numbers, and your enemies will
vanish."

By General Montcalm, in 1757.

(JENERAL WILKINSON. 203

Burj^oync reached Fort Edward the day before, and chap.
his Indians were on the alert; they attacked the de- ^
tachmcnt on its return, after destroying the bridge, (jj.,,,.^^!
and such was the consternation which seized on our men, Unjgoyne
that they retreated precipitately, suffering thii-ty or forty at Fort
Indians to hang on their right flank, and to harass them Kdward
up to the verge of their late camp, in the face of the divi-
sion under arms. In this dastardly flight, the Indians
tiirew away their fu'c at long shot, and wounded a few
persons only, among them Major Matt. Clarksou,* aid-
de-camp to General Arnold, who exposeed himself gal-
lantly in attempting to rally the fugitives and bi-ing tliem
to action ; a ball passed tlirougli the muscular integu-
ments of his throat, it was believed tlic trachea was
wounded, and I remember his youthful associates with
sorrow anticipated his death, but contrary to expectation
he soon recovered.

The army reached Saratoga without other incident,
than the loss of some stragglers by the Indians, and on
the 2d of August continued its march to Stillwater. We
had this day another evidence of the panic which pre-
vailed amon.cjthe troops. As the rear guard of one hun-
dred men, was marching from its post to join the main
body, it was fired upon by a small party of Indians, and
took to flight in open ground : attracted by the firing I
rode up, and was a spectator of the scene ; the guard was
commanded by Major Hull,f who on horseback was
making the most animated exertions to rally his men,
which he at length effected, and in turn drove the enemy
with great gallantry.

General Schuyler reached Stillwater on the 3d, ami
began to intrench his camp on the 4th; but had made
little progress, when he received advice of Colonel St. F.xpcil,
Leger's arrival before Fort Schuyler, by the way of Os- )l°{'J^l^
wego. This expedition had been concerted in England, St. Le^er
upon the general plan of the campaign, to effect a diver-

• Cleneral Clarkson of New York,
t Since an unlbrtunalc general.

S04 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, sion in favour of the principal operation, and eventually
^ to form a junction with General Burgoyne at Albany. It
consisted of 550 troops of the line, and Sir John John-
son's provincials, amounting to 500 men, with a nume-
rous body of Indians.
He invests Colonel St. Lcger invested Fort Schuyler, situate at

^^""^ , the head of the Mohawk river, and 110 miles from Al-
Schuyler. , , ,. . mi • n- o i •

bany, on the 3d ot August. The intelngence ot Ins ap-
proach, received from Colonel Gansevoort who com-
manded the post, had roused the militia of the upper set-
tlements of that river ; and General Herkimer marched
the same day, with about 800 men, to succour the garri-
son, having advised Colonel Gansevoort of his purpose,
by a light party which eluded the vigilance of the enemy
and reached the Fort. This body of citizens, headed by
a chief unskilled in military affairs, was led on without
the ordinary precautions of front or flank guards, and
in the morning of the 6th, about five miles from the
fort, fell into an ambuscade of Indians and royalists,
under the direction of Sir John Johnson, who had been
Genera^^ detached by St. Leger to meet them. A fierce and obsti-
Herkimer. nate action ensued, in which the militia, although sur-
prised, and fighting undei' manifest disadvantages, main-
tained their ground with great resolution. Herkimer*
was mortally woujided in the onset, yet refused to be car-
ried off the field, and continued to animate his men ;
who, after a contest of two hours, when the enemy
ceased their fire, and drew off from the field of bat-
tle,! retreated with such deliberation, as to carry off
their wounded. During the period of the action. Colo-
nel Gansevoort ordered a sortie of 250 men, under Lieu-
tcnant-coh)nel Willctt, against the encampment of the ene-
my in his rear, which was executed with the conspicuous

* Herkimer an honest, plain, unlettered German, well merited the
monument which was voted by Congress, in commemoration of his
death.

•[- Captain Stephen Watts, of Sir John Johnson's corps, v?as left on
the field of battle witli a broken leg-, where he was found a day or two
after by the eneni}'.

GENERAL WILKINSON. g05

gallantry, displayed by this reTolutionary veteran on va- cjiap.
rioiis occasions during the war: he destroyed their camp ^
equipage and provisions, and carried into the fort many
utensils and much baggage of the enemy, without the
loss of a man. General Herkimer died of his wounds a
few days after the action, in which our loss of killed and
wounded was estimated at one hundred and sixty. St.
Leger does not in his report of the affair mention his loss
of whites, but admits that thirty Indians were killed, and
the same number wounded ; among whom there were se-
veral of their favourite chiefs and confidential wairiors.*
Both sides, as is frequently the case, claimed the victory,
but as there was no pursuit on either side, it was evi-
dently a drawn action, which spread sorrow over an ex-
tensive American settlement, eventually blasted St. Le-
ger's hopes, and raised the siege of Fort Schuyler with-
out a second conflict; for the loss suffered by the Indians
afliicted and disheartened them, and the circumstance of
the British troops not having participated in the combat,
filled them with disgust and jealousies, which produced a
general defection.

The news of this engagement reached General Schuy- General
ler the 7th, with an exaggerated account of our loss, and y,X°red
on the nth he detached Brigadier-general Learned, with to the
about 800 continental troops, to reinforce the militia. On p^^.^ °

Schuyler.
* Extract of a letter from Colonel Butler to Sir Guy Carleton, dated
Camp, Fort Stanwix, ^«^. tSth, 1777.

*' Of the New Yorkers, Captain M'Donald was killed, Captain Watts
•langerously wounded, and one subaltern ; of the rangers. Captains
Wilson and Hare killed, and one private wounded. The Indians suf-
fered much, having 33 killed, and 29 wounded; the Senecas lost 17
men, among whom were several of their chief warriors, and had 16
wounded. During the whole action the Indians shewed the greatest
zeal for his majesty's cause; and had they not been a little too preci-
pitate, scarcely a rebel of the party had escaped. Most of the leading
rebels arc cut off in the action, so that any farther attempts from that
quarter is not to be expected. Captain Watts of the Royal New
Yorkers, whose many amiable qualities deserved a belter fate, lay
wounded in three places upon the field two days before he was found;
however, it is thought he will recover."— Par/, iifj. vol. 9. />. 227.

206 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, the 13th General Arnold, having volunteered his serviceg,
^' was " ordered to proceed to the German Flatts to take the
chief command, with instructions to call out the militia, and
relieve Fort Schuyler, if practicable; otherwise to adopt
such measures as would most effectually cover the settlements
of the Mohawk."

Having made these arrangements, General Schuyler
determined to form a camp at the confluence of the Mo-
hawk with the Hudson's river, as a more convenient posi-
tion for watching the operations of St. Leger, and from
its proximity to his general hospital and depots at Al-
bany, to save the expense of transport, and refresh his
troops, who were suffering from disease; or finally, should
events impose it on him, to resist the advance of General
Burgoyne; but before he marched from Stillwater, an
incident occurred which is worthy of record, because it
will expose to the reader the abject humiliation of those
troops, who were destined in a few weeks to conquer the
very eneiny, whose name had excited terror, and whose
presence had struck them with dismay. Such is the fluc-
tuation of the moral and physical energy- — such the in-
constancy to which the human character is liable, when
the mind or body is diseased, or life is put at hazard.
« a[}taia A Captain Warren, with a light party on scout, being

skirmish attacked by a superior number of Indians, he retired to
with the a deserted cabin, and on attempting to force it, one of
the warriors was killed, upon which the Indians retreat-
ed ; Warren had also one man killed, whom he brought
into camp, with the scalp of the Indian. This trifling
skirmish produced the excitements of a victory, and was
recognised in the following

GENERAL ORDER.

« H. q. Stillwater, Aug, 9th, 1777.
*» The General thanks Captain Warren and the good
soldiers of his party, for tlie gallant resistance they yes-
terday made against a superior number of savages. As
Captain Warren has convinced the army? that those bar-

GENERAL WILKINSON. 207

barian3 arc neither invulnerable nor invincible, the Gc- cilAP.
neral Hatters himself that our parties will never aeain ^
retreat from them, unless they find themselves manifest-
ly outnumbered. Our brave fellow soldier who gloriously
fell in this skirmish is to be buried this day with the ho-
nours of war."

"We decamped from Stillwater on the lith, and after
several halts took post the 18th on Van Schaick's island,
formed by the mouths of the Mohawk. General Gates General
arrived, and again superceded General Schuyler in com- a^in su-
mand on the 19th, and at an interesting epoch of the percedes
campaign. The current of adversity had expended it- schuvicr.
self, and a flood of good fortune began to pour in upon
the American arms ; and when General Sclmyler was
QonCdently looking forward to a change of circumstances
which might reward him for his zeal and assiduity by
the repulse of the enemy, of which he never appeared to
doubt. The long halt of General Burgoyne in the vici-
nity of Fort Edward, and the incessant exertions of Ge-
neral Schuyler, to rouse the dormant spirit of the coun-
try, began to dissipate the alarm which had appalled ci-
tizen and soldier, and from the extreme of despondency,
to restore that self confidence, which was consummated
by the affair of Bennington.

The obstacles opposed to General Burgoyne's progress General
the moment he was obliged to abandon his water trans- ^"'"' ,

'^ _^ovne s

port, increased at every step lie advanced ; by sitting difficul-
down at Skeensborough more than twenty days, he had ^'^* ^^\
enabled General Schuyler to break up every road, and for.
obstruct every approach to the Hudsons river. These "^"'^ ^
happily conceived and actively prosecuted measures, sub-
jected the British army to heavy fatigues and unavoid-
able delays, and on his arrival at Fort Edward, ho
found his operations shackled by a great deficiency of
the land transport which had been contracted for in Ca-
nada. To obviate those ditficulties, mount Reidesel's
dragoons, test the affections of the country, and indulge

y

<

!308

MEMOIRS BY

CHAP.

V.

Extract
from
Colonel
Baume's
instruc-
tions.

-., £

the chimerical idea of alarming the eastern states, he was
prevailed on to hazard an enterprize, which eventuated
in the loss of one-sixth of his regtdar force, and was
the precursor of the approaching catastrophe.

The motives which led General Burgoyne to this ad-
venturous operation, are precisely defined in the follow-
ing extract from his instructions to Lieutenant-colonel
Baume, bearing date Fort Edward, Aug. 9th, 1777 : —
" The objects of your expedition are to try the affections of
the country i to disconcert the councils of the enemy ^ to mount
ReidcscVs dragoons^ to complete Feters's corps, and to obtain
large supplies of cattle, horses and carriages." The delu-
sions hy whicli General Burgoyne was misled, may be
traced to the excessive zeal, and consequent misrepre-
sentations of Governor Skeene, and those who had aban-
doned the cause of their country to join the royal standard;
who were themselves beguiled by personal interests and ani-
mosities, and their eagerness to manifest the sincerity of
their devotion. A stranger to the topography of the coun-
try, its improvements, population, and the political dis-
position of the people, it was natural that the General
should listen to those whom he conceived best qualified to
smooth his path, and who found a momentary impor-
tance in fanning his hopes and ambition. Such illusions
are common to the human mind, and the strongest un-
derstanding is not always exempt from their influence.

But General Burgoyne committed a great error, in
his selection of a corps for this critical service, which
was ignorant of the language, habits, and manners of
the country — a fatal oversight; and the want of discern-
ment, decision, and celerity of movement, essentials in
which the Germans were deficient, augmented their em-
barrassments; besides the detachment of Baume was too
inconsiderable to awe the country, and not qualified to
resist the attack of half its numbers in a broken country,
abounding with defiles, covered with wood, and peopled
with a hardy, resolute race of men: but above all, the
tour prescribed was too extensive, and the operations

GENERAL WILKINSON. 209

too dilatory; indeed tlie instructions of General Burgoyne chap.
to Lieutenant-colonel Baume betray extreme is;norancc ^'
or presumption, and justified the conclusion which is ex-
hibited in tiic following letters.

« Van Schaik^s Island, Aug. IBtli, 1777,
« Sir,

« I have the honour to congratulate Congress on a Schuyler
signal victory obtained by General Stark, an account g"^,,
whereof is contained in the following letter from General letters.
Lincoln,* which I have this moment had the happiness
to receive, together with General Burgoyne's instruc-
tions to Lieutenant-colonel Baume, copy whereof is in-
closed.

" I am in hopes that Congress will very soon have the
satisfaction to hear, that General Arnold lias raised the
siege of Fort Schuyler. If that takes place, I believe it
will be possible to engage two or three hundred Indians
to join this army, and Congress may rest assured that
my very best endeavours shall not be wanting to accom-
plish it.

« I am informed that General Gates arrived at Albany
yesterday. Major Livingston, one of my aids, will have
the honour to deliver you this despatch.

" I am, with every sentiment of respect,
** Your obedient servant,

«P. SCHUYLER.
«< Hon. John Hancock, Pres*t of Congress.'*

" Bennington, Aug. 22J, 1777.
'' Dear General,

«* I received yours of the 19th instant, which gave me
great pleasure. I beg to be excused for not answering
it sooner, I have been so sick ever since, that I could not

• General Stark's account being more minute and characteristic,
is entered in place of General Lincoln's.

vet. L Dd

310 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, write, neither am I well as yet. But General Lin-
^- coin has written, and I joined with him in opinion on
^"^"'^"^ the subject of his letter. I shall now give your ho-
nour a short account of the action on the 16th instant.
I was informed there was a party of Indians in Cam-
bridge, on their march to this place: I sent Colonel
Greg of my brigade to stop them with two hundred men:
In the night I was informed by express, tliat there was a
large body of the enemy on their march in the rear of the
Indians : I rallied all my brigade and what militia was
at this place, in order to stop their proceedings ; I like-
wise sent to Manchester to Colonel Warner's regiment
that was stationed there ; also sent expresses for the mi-
litia to come in with all speed to our assistance, which
was punctually obeyed : I then marched in company with
Colonels Warner, Williams, Herrick and Brush, with all
the men that were present. About five miles from this
place, I met Colonel Greg on his retreat, and the ene-
my in close pursuit after him : I drew up my little army
in order of battle; but when the enemy hove in sight,
they halted on a very advantageous hill or piece of ground.
I sent out small parties in their front, to skirmish with
them, which scheme had a good effect ; they killed and
wounded thirty of the enemy without any loss on our side;
but the ground that I was upon did not suit for a general
action. I marched back about one mile and encamped,
called a council, and it was agreed, that we should send
two detachments in their rear, while the other attacked
them in front; but the 15th it rained all day, therefore
had to lay by, could do nothing but skirmish with them.
On the 16tli in the morning, was joined by Colonel Sim-
mons with some militia from Berkshire county : I pur-
sued my plan, detached Colonel Nicolls with £00 men to
attack them in the rear; I also sent Colonel Herrick with
300 men in the rear of their right, both to join, and when
joined, to attack their rear : I also sent Colonel Hubbard
and Stickney witii 200 men, in their right, and sent 100
men in their front, to draw away their attention that
way; and about three o'clock we got all ready for the

GENERAL WILKINSON. gli

attack. Colonel NiroUs began the same, wliich was iol- chap.
lowed by all tlie rest. The remainder oi" my litlle army ^
I pushed up in the front, and in a few minutes tlie action
began in general; it lasted two hours, the hottest I ever
saw in my life* — it represented one continued clap of
thunder; however the enemy was obliged to give way,
and leave their field pieces and all their baggage behind
them: they were all environed within two breastworks
with their artillery, but our martial courage proved too
hard for them. I then gave orders to rally again, in
order to secure the victory, but in a few minutes was in-
formed, that there was a large reinforcement on their
march within two miles. Lucky for us, that moment Co-
lonel Warner's regiment came up fresh, who marciied on
and began the attack afresh. I j)ushed forwai-d as many
of the men as I could to their assistance : the battle con-
tinued obstinate on both sides till sunset ; the enemy was
obliged to retreat; we pursued them till dark; but had
day lasted an hour longer, we should have taken the
whole body of them. . We recovered four pieces of brass
cannon, some hundred stands of arms, and brass bar-
relled drums, several Hessian swords, about 700 jjrison-
crs, 207 dead on the spot; the number of wounded is as
yet unknown; that part of the enemy that made their
escape, marched all night, and we returned to our camp.
Too much honour cannot be given to the brave officers
and soldiers for giillant behaviour; they fought through
the midst of fire and smoke, mounted two breastworks
that were well fortified, and supported with cannon. I
cannot particularise any officer, as they all behaved with
the greatest spii'it and bi-avery : Colonel Warner's su-
perior skill in the action, was of extraordinary service
to me; I would be glad he and his men could be recom-
mended to Congress. As I promised in my oi-dcr, that
the soldiers should have all the plunder taken in the ene-
my's camp, would be glad your honour would send me

* He was :v captain of rangers on the plains of Abraham, with Gen
'•al Wole.

alia MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, word, uliat the value of the cannon and other artillery
stores above «!escribed may be. Our loss was inconside-
rable; about forty wounded and thirty killed. I lost my
horse, bridle and saddle in the action.
« I am, Sir,
« Your most devoted and most ob't humble serv't.

« JOHN STARK.
« Major-general Gates, Albany.^*

St.Leper's |f ^yg ^y,.,^ f^^,,, pygg fpoin tliose scenes of triumph in
espedi- •' *^

tion, the east, to Fort Scliuyler in the west, wc shall find St.

Leger crippled by Herkimer, obstinately resisted by the
modest and excellent soldier Gansevoort, and alarmed
hy the approach of Arnold, hastily raising the siege, and
retiring with the partial loss of his artillery, camp equi-
page and provisions. The most satisfactory account of
this transaction which I can offer the reader, will be
found in St. Leger's report to General Burgoyne, bear-
His re- ing date Oswego, Aug. 27th, 1777, an extract from
General which I beg leave to quote. " When by the unabating
Burgoyne. labour of officers and men, (the smalJncssof our numbers
never admitting of a relief, or above three hours cessa-
tion for sleep or cooking) the batteries and redoubts were
finished, and new checks and axle-trees made for the six
pounders, those that were sent being reported rotten and
unserviceable, it was found that our cannon had not the
least effect upon the sod work of the fort, and that our
royals had only the power of teasing, as a six-inch plank
was a sufficient security for tbeir powder magazine,
which we learnt from the deserters. At this time, Lieu-
tenant Glenie of the artillery, whom I had appointed to
act as assistant engineer, proposed a conversion of the
royals (if I may use the expression) into howitzers; the
ingenuity and feasibility of this measure striking me
very strongly, the business was set about immediately,
and soon executed; when it was found that nothing pre-
vented their operating with the desired effect, biit the
distance — their chambers being too small to hold a suffi-
ciency of powder. There was nothing now to be done.

GENERAL WILKINSON. gt3

but to approach the town by sap, to such a distance that chap.
the rampart might be brought within their poriice ; at the ^
same time all materials were preparing to run a mine
under their most formidable bastion.

« In the midst of these operations, intelligence was
brought in by our scouts, of a second corps of one thou-
sand men being on their march. The same zeal no longer
animated the Indians; they complained of our thinness
of troops, and their former losses. I immediately called
a council of the chiefs ; encouraged them as much as I
could; promised to lead them on myself, and bring into
the field three hundred of the best troops. They listened
to this, and promised to follow me, and agreed that I
should reconnoitre the ground properest for the field of
battle the next morning, accompanied by some of their
chief warriors, to settle the plan of operations.

** When upon the ground appointed for the field of
battle, scouts came in with the account of the first num-
ber swelled to 2000 : immediately after a third, that Ge-
neral Burgoyne's army was cut to pieces, and that Ar-
nold was advancing, by rapid and forced marches, with
three thousand men. It was at this moment I began to
suspect cowardice in some, and treason in others ; how-
ever, I returned to camp, not without hopes, with the as-
sistance of ray gallant coadjutor Sir John Johnson, and
the intlucncc of the superintending colonels, Claus and
Butler, of inducing them to meet the enemy. A council,
according to their custom, was called to know their re-
solutions, before the breaking up of which, I learned that
two hundred were already decamped. In about an hour
they insisted that I sljould retreat, or they would be
obliged to abandon me. — I had no other part to take (and
a hard part it was, to troops who could do nothing with-
out them, to yield to their resolves); and therefore pro-
posed to retire at night, sending on before my sick,
wounded, artillery, kc. down the AVood crcvk, covering
them by our line of march. This did not fall in with
their views; which were no less than treacherously com-
mitting ravage upon their friends, as they had lost the

SM

MEMOIRS BY

CHAP.
V.

Keflee-
tions on
recent
events.

opportunity of doing it upon their enemies. To effect
this, they artfully caused messengers to come in, one
after the other, with accounts of the nearer approaches of
the rebels; one and the last affirmed, that they were
within two miles of Captain Lernoult's post. Not giving
entire credit to this, and keeping to my resolution of re-
tiring by night, they grew furious and abandoned ;
seized upon the officers' liquor and clothes, in spite of
the efforts of their servants; and became more formida-
ble than the enemy we l)ad to expect. I now thought it
time to call in Captain Lernoult's post, retiring with the
troops in camp to t'le ruined fort, called William, in the
front of the garrison, not only to wait the enemy, if they
thought proper to sally, but to protect the boats from the
fury of the savages. Having sent forward Captain Hoyes
with his detachment, with one piece of cannon, to the
place where Bull Fort stood, to receive the troops who
waited the arrival of Captain Lernoult, most of the boats
were escorted that night bey nd Canada creek, where no
danger was to be apprehended from the enemy. The
creek at this place, bending from the road, has a deep
cedar swamp between: every attention was now turned
to the mouth of the creek, which the enemy might have
possessed themselves of by a rapid march by the Oneida
castle. At this place the whole of the little army arrived
by twelve o'clock at night, and took post in such a man-
ner as to have no feai's of any thing the enemy could
do."

We have here some examples of the character of the
Indian tribes. The effects of these signal events were
more extensive than appeared at first view, and connect-
ed with all the circumstances which had ensued the eva-
cuation of Ticonderoga, must warrant the following con-
clusions : —

1st. — That the army of Lieutenant-general Burgoync
had been essentially disabled ; by the loss of a heavy de-
tachment, with its artillery and baggage; and by the dis-
comfiture of a collateral branch of the expedition he
commanded.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 215

2(1. — That the zeal, patriotism, perseverance, avul sa- gmap,
lutary arraogcments of General Schuyler, had roused the ^
spirit of the country, and vanquished the jirejudices ex-
cited against him hy artifice, intrigue and detraction.

3(1 That by the repulse of St. Leger and the capture

of the detachment under Colonel Baume; safety had been
restored to the western frontier; and the panic terror
which pervaded the community had subsided.

4th. — That these circumstances enabled General Schuy-
ler, to concentrate and oppose his whole continental force
to the main body of the enemy; and

5th. — That the friends of the revolution were reani-
mated and excited to a manly resistance, wliilst the ad-
hcrents of the royal cause were intimidated, and shrunk
into silence and inactivity, anterior to the arrival of Ge-
neral Gates to take tlje command.

From these premises, which rest on incontrovertible
facts, it may fairly be deduced, that the same force which
enabled General Gates to subdue the British army, woidd
have produced a similar effect under the orders of Gene-
ral Schuyler; since the operations of the campaign did
not involve a single instance of professional skill, and
the triumph of the American arms was accomplished by
the pliysical force and valour of the troops, under the

PROTECTION AND DIRECTION OF THE GoD OF BATTLES.

For the justice of these remarks, I have no hesitation to
appeal to his excellency Governor Brooks of Massachu-
setts, and to Henry Dearborn, esq. late major-general in
the service of the United States, who shared the toils,
perils and hardships of that memorable campaign.

But it is not my intention by these observations to
derogate from the merits or services of General Gates,
wliif h were important and conspicuous ; on the con-
trary, it is my opinion, tliat under a change of cir-
cumstances, tiie same causes which (lca;raded General
Sciniyler, would have sunk General Gates under popti-
lar discontent and congressional an at lie mas; and in such
case, all the consequences would have been reversed;

SI 6 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, but I shall ever believe, that St. Clair laid the founda-
^ ■ tion of our good fortune in the convention of Saratoga.
Cause of ^^ ''^^ ^^^" remarked by the American historiographers,
General that Gen. Schuylcr did not possess popularity in the New
wan" of "^^ England states, but they profess their ignorance of the
popuiuri- cause; yet, with due deference, I think it may be traced
^' to certain jealousies which had subsisted between the co-

lonics of New York and New England respecting terri-
torial limits, anterior to the revolution, which had been
strongly excited, about the period I am speaking of, by
the pretensions of the Hampshire grantees, who had en-
tered upon a tract of country claimed by the government
of New York, and which was subsequently erected into
the state of Vermont.* The rancour of civil feuds is in-
creased by the approximation of the parties, and the line
of demarcation being defined, individual exceptions cease.
In this case, the controvertists were distinguished by the
designation of Yankee and Yorker ; somewhat may also
be ascribed to social habits and manners ; those of New
England were, at that period, democratic and puritani-
cal, whilst in New York they were courtly and aris-
tocratic.

The national councils were no longer governed by the
harmony of 1775 ; the pressure of common dangers had
ceased to operate as a bond of union ; local prejudices
had crept into Congress, and that honourable body had
split into parties. The fact is strongly illustrated by the
following extract of a letter from that respectable cha-
racter Colonel Joseph Trumbull, commissary general of
the army, and son of the venerable governor of Connec-
ticut: 'i I have quitted the commissary department j the re-
gulations which form the ground on which I liave quittedf
were formed by the junto. Is it known in your state (Mas-

* It was General Gates's policy to favour the views of the inhabi-
tants of the Hampshire grants, which made him popular with those
people ; and I have cause to believe that the name of the state was
devised in his quarters at Ticonderog-a in 1776, from the Latin desig--
TUtion of the country, virides montes.

QENERAL WILKINSON. 317

sachusdts) that the president (^Hancock) is with the Vorkcrs CHAP.
and southern bashaws ; that if he wants any thing movcdy ^"
his brother delegates are not applied to^ htt the motion conies
from Duanc, or some other person of no better character; and
that there is no harmony between him and his brethren."*

The Con,^ress must liave been conscious, that Ticon- Extraor.
dcroga was lost by their own neglect, or the misanplica- d'"ary

proceed-

tion of the force intended for its defence; yet yielding to ;„frs of
personal prejudice, and the popular outcry produced by Congress.
the evacuation of that post, they passed the following in-
temperate resolutions, which rendered an emendatory
resolution necessary, and but for the admonition of Ge-
neral Washington, would have stripped the northern
army of general officers at a critical stage of the cam-
paign.

In Congress f July 29fA, 1777.

« Resolved, That an inquiry be made into the reasons
of the evacuation of Ticondcroga and Mount Indepen-
dence, and into the conduct of the general officers who
were in the northern department at the time of the eva-
cuation ; that a committee be appointed to digest and re-
port the mode of conducting the inquiry."

« July 30. — Resolved, That Major-general St. Clair,
who commanded at Ticondcroga and Mount Indepen-
dence, forthwith repair to head quarters."

« Aug 1. — Resolved, That Major-general Schuyler be
directed to repair to head quarters.

« That General Washington be directed to order such
general officer as he shall think proper, immediately to
repair to the nortliern department, to relieve Major-ge-
neral Schuyler in his command tiiere; that Brigadier
Poor, Brigadier Patterson, and Brigadier Roche dc Fer-
moy, be directed to repair to head quarters."

«' Aug, 3. — Resolved, That General Washington be di-
rected to order the general whom he shall think proper
to relieve General Schuyler in his command; to repair

• Gordon.

voTa I. R e

318 MEMOIRS BY^y.ao

CHAP, with all possible expedition to the northern department*

V.

givin.^ lam directions what number of the militia to call
from the states of New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay..
Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

« That notice be immediately sent to the executive
powers of tlie said states, and tliat they be earnestly re-
quested to get the militia in those parts of their respec-
tive states most contiguous to the department, ready to
march at a moment's warning; and to send with all pos-
sible expedition, such parts of them as the general com-
manding in the northern department shall require, to
serve till the 15th November, if not sooner relieved by
the continental troops, or dismissed by the commanding
officer of the department, and entitled to tlie continental
pay and rations.

" That the commanding officer in the northern depart-
ment have discretionary power to make requisitions on
the states aforesaid from time to time, for such additional
numbers of the militia to serve in that department, as he
shall judge necessary for the public service."

" Whereas it is represented to Congress, that General
Washington is of opinion, that the immediate recal of all
tlie brigadiers from the northern army may be produc-
tive of inconvenience to the public service—^

<' Resolvedf That tlie order of Congress of the first day
of this month, respecting tiie said brigadiers, be suspend-
ed, until General Washington shall judge it may be car-
ried into effect with safety."

But General Wasliington, who knew where the fault
lay, and reposed entire confidence in General Schuyler,
declined ministering in the injustice offered to that offi-
cer, and excused himself from nominating his successor;
whereupon. Congress, by special resolution, conferred
the command upon Major-general Gates, and after hold--
ing Schuyler and St. Clair in cruel suspense for more
than a year, they were permitted to appear before a ge-
neral court martial, which passed the following sentences
of acquittal.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 519

CHAP.
« quaker Hill, Se]rt. 20th, 1778. ^

-/.« The court Imvin,^ duly considered the charges against ,,,
MAJOR-GENERAL ST. CLAIR, and the evidence, binc'^*
are unanimously of opinion, that he is NOT GUILTY '^erll''^
of either of the charges preferred against him, and do Si.ciair
unanimously acquit him of all and every of them with the Jai Schm -
HIGHEST HONOUR. li

« R. LINCOLN, Major Gen. ^' Pres'L"

« quaker HiiU Oct. 5d, 1778.
*< The court having considered the charge against
MAJOR-GENERAL SCHUYLER, the evidence and
iiis defence, are unanimously of opinion he is nut guilty
of any neglect of duty, in not heing at Ticondcroga, as
charged, and tiie court do therefore acquit him WTTH
THE HIGHEST HONOUR.

« B. LINCOLN, Major Gen, .^ Pres't.'*

This conduct of Congress towards two such respecta- Conduct

ble, able and faithful servants of the republic, was con- °! ^''*l

' ^ ' then Con-

sidered most unrighteous, and drew great and deserved giesscom-

odium on its authors. — But when compared witli the P^'eJwiih

* the con-

cold hearted cruelty of President Madison, it must be duct of
considered the lenity of justice. The confidential se- ^''esident

•' »• Madison.

cret reporters introduced by Mr. Madison into the Ame-
rican army, originated with TIBERIUS, and have been
lianded down to posterity, by the tyrants of Europe; but
that the government of the United States should have Ic-
galised such an abominable system of espionage, is a cir-
cumstance of national degradation and reproach ; that
men clothed in the garb of honour, should be employed
and paid to watch over and pry into the conduct of their
brethren in arms, to scrutinise their infirmities, and keep
records of ordinary conversations, for the secret informa-
tion of a president of the United States, will scarcely be
credited, but by those who have seen numbers struck
from the rolls of the army, without charge or accusation,
and in total ignorance of the cause of ther dishonour ;

220 MEMOIRS BY ^

CHAP, or who have seen the mass of foul accusation preferred
^* against me by President Madison and his advisers, with
every alteration, revision and addition that human ma-
lice, official cunning, and legal chicane could invent,
during a lapse of six months, and even up to the time
I appeared a prisoner before the court.

This power to disgrace an American citizen, without
hearing, is as repugnant to the genius of our govern-
ment, as it is offensive to the ordinary maxims of moral
justice : it was exercised but twice anterior to Mr. Ma-
dison's accession to the presidential chair; once by Ge-
neral Washington, and once by Mr. Jefferson, and if I
have been correctly informed, with much reluctance in
both cases, although for offences notoriously infamous.

For the safety of the constitution and the honour of the
army, I hope the day is not distant, when a virtuous and
enlightened legislative body may interpose its authority,
to abolish this odious assumption of inquisitorial power,
and annul the vile office of confidential reporters, or in
other words of secret familiars or informers, the assas-
sins of good fame.

At the period when the manners of the Romans were
most pure, when honour and virtue formed the pil-
lars of the republic, the Remmian law exacted, that a
false accuser should have the letter K branded on his
forehead, as a mark of infamy. When Eschines falsely
accused Ctesiphon, he was condemned to pay five thou-
sand drachmas; but in our republic, at this early day,
such are the strides of corruption, that the innocent are
condemned, and the accusers are either rewarded or suf-
fered to escape with impunity — to preserve the HAR-
MONY OF THE CABINET, and promote the inte-
rests of THE RULING PARTY. 0 temporal O mores!

GENERAL WILKINSON. ^21

CHAPTER VI.

General Gates relieves General Schuyler in the command of ch\p.
the northern army.'— Reflections on the treatment expe- y^-y-^
rienccd by General Schuyler.— —His letter to General
Washington.— General Ifurgoyne^s instructions and con-
duct considered. — Condition of the army under General
Gates. — .Advantages under which he resumed the com-
mand,— General order of .August 20thf 1777. — Extraor-
dinary poTvers vested in General Gates by Congress.-^
Extract of General Washington's letter to Governor Clin-
ton.-— General Washington to General Gates, and tlie an-
swer.— Colonel Morgan and his rifle corps reach head quar-
ters.— Doctor Wood arrives with a letter from General
Burgoyne to General Gates, complaining of the treatment
of wounded prisoners. — General Gates retorts, and calls
General Burgoyne' s attention to the case of Miss M^Crea.
— Facts respecting her death. — Movement of the .Ameri- .
can army. — General Gates takes possession of Behmiis's
heights.-^His ignorance of the position of the enemy.—
Colonel Wilkinson detached on a reconnoissance. — .Ascer-
tains that General Burgoyne was advancing. — This fact
confirmed by two British prisoners. — General Burgoyne's
movement from Saratoga to Davocoie, where he halts to
reconnoitre and repair bridges. — Mvances and encamps
on the Hudson's river. — Description of his camp. — ■
Mso that of General Gates. — Intervening ground de-
•scnbed. — Further movements of the enemy. — .Action com-
mences.— The rifle corps drives the enemy's picket, and
fails in with his line.'— Colonel Wilkinson visits the field
of battle, and meets Colonel Morgan.— -General Gates or-
ders out reinforcements. — Action becomes general. — Coi-ps
principally engaged. — The engagement accidental. — The
scene of action described. — Loss on the part of the British
artillery. — General Burgoyne's account of the action.—
J\ro general officer present in the fleld of battle till the
evening. — Jiction sustained by individual courage rather

2^

MEMOIRS BY

than military skill. — Death of Ensign PhiUipSf a tvound-
ed prisoner. ^-Rejlections on that event. — Return of killed
and wounded Loss of the enemy. -^Colonel Brorvn^s suc-
cessful enterprise against the enemy near Ticonderoga.
— Conduct of the militia under General Stark."— Arrival

of a British deserter Information obtained from him. —

Expected attack.' — 2'he deserter^s information discredited,
hit afterwards proved to he correct. — Anecdote related to
General Wilkinson by General Phillips. — General Bnr-
goyne's correspondence with Sir Henry Clinton. — Extra-
ordinary combination of circumstances favourable to the
.American arms. — Beneficial effects of the action of the
i9th Sept. — Difference between General Gates and Gene-
ral Arnold. — General order of the 22d Sept. the imme-
diate cause of it. — Correspondence between them. — Ar-
nold's subsequent conduct. — General Lincoln* s arrival,
and appointment to the command of the right wing.

CHAP.
VI.

General

Gates

relieves

General

Schuyler.

Major-generai. Gates relieved Major-general
Schuyler in the command of the northern department,
on the evening of the 19th of August, precisely in season
to profit by the reverse of fortune, which had radically
affected the physical force of the adverse armies j and to
engross all the eclat which attended the auspicious change.
I loved Gates, but I loved justice better ; and my heart
bled for Sclaiyler, when he was obliged to resign the
fruits of his labours, and sorrowfully laid down his com-
mand. He might truly have exclaimed « sic vos non
vobis /" Little did I think at that day, that the hard for-
tune of this gentleman, would ever be measured out to
myself; sad delusion! for my life has exhibited a succes-
sion of mortification and injuries : yet that Almighty
Power which controuls my destiny, has been pleased to
endow me with resignation and tranquillity. General
Schuyler's sensibilities are strongly depicted in a letter
to General Washington, written about tiie time of his re-
moval from command. " It is," says he, « matter of ex-
treme chagrin to me to be deprived of the command, at
a time when soon, if ever, we shall probably be enabled

GENEJIAL WILKINSON. 223

to meet lUc enemy; when we arc on tlic point of taking ch.M'.
ground where they must attack to disadvantage, should ^ *
our force he inadequate to facing tlicm in the field; when
an opportunity will in all probability occur, in which I
might evince that I am not what Congress have too
]>lainly insinuated, by the resolution taking the command
iVom me."

It is apparent, from General Burgoyne's correspon- f^'cncral
dcncc with the English minister, and the evidence pro- goync's
duced on his enquiry before the House of C«)mmons, that 'ns^f^c-

* •' tions and

if he had not considered his orders imperative, « to form conduct
a junction with Sir William Howe," he would have taken c^"s»d<^''-
a safe position, within reach of his magazines at Fort
George, and waited events ; hut the peremptory tenor of
liis orders took away his discretion : lie therefore, unap-
palled by the misfortune of Baumc, or the discomfiture
of St. Lcger, redoubled his activity and exertion to sur-
mount the almost insuperable difliculties of deficient trans-
port, and pursued his course with a decision and perse-
verance worthy a better cause, and a more fortunate
issue. Indeed the con<luct of Burgoyne on this occasion,
marked the soldier regardless of personal motives, faith-
ful to his profession, and solely intent on the execution of
his instructions.

The army of General Gates, reanimated by success,
by returning health and increasing numbers, was foster-
i'd by General Washington, and invigorated by the zea-
lous co-operation of that intrepid soldier, distinguished
statesman, revered patriot, and inflexible republican. Ge-
neral George Clinton,* who had been recently elected

* " JTiHj-sfon, Sept. lOth, 177T.

'• Sir,

" I am favoured with yours of yesterday, and shall not fail of ex-
erting every nerve to give you all the aid from the militia of this slate
that can possibly be qbtained. By my leter to you of the 15tli in-
stant, containing a copy of a letter which I received from General
Putnam, you will observe that I have ordered out eleven regiments
of this state, to reinforce his army, strengthen tile posts in the higli-
lands, and oppose the enemy wlio crossed the river into New Jersey.

I2i> MEMOffiS BY

CHAP, governor of the state of New York; and Congress now

^^' exerted every means within the compass of their power,

to strengthen his ranks, and give effect to his authority.

On tlie day after his arrival, General Gates issued the

following

GENERAL ORDER.

*« F. Q. Van ScJmick^s Island, Mg» 20tfh 1777.
"The most honourahle the Congress of the United
States have been pleased to appoint Major-general Ho-
ratio Gates, to be commander in chief of the army in the

These ai*e already marched for that purpose ; all the other regiments
of militia in this state, (Tryon county and the Scoharie regiment ex-
copied) are ordered immediately to join your army, leating only such
small guards at home, as shall be necessary to secure the peace of
the country against internal enemies.

" I am, Sir, with great regard,

" Your most obedient servant,

" GEO. CLINTOX.
" ffis Honour Major-general Gates."

" Kingston, 15th Sept. 1777-
" Dear Sir,

*' About twelve o'clock tiiis day I received the inclosed letter from
General Putnam by express. In consequence of the intelligence
therein contained, I have ordered eleven regiments of the militia of
this state to march immediately, six of them to join General Put-
nam's army at Peek's kill, two to strengthen the garrison of Fort
Montgomery, and three to join General M'Dougal at Ramapogh. —
This is the whole of the militia, as far north on both sides of the river
as Poughkeepsie inclusive. 1 did not choose to extend my orders to
those further northward, as it would put it out of my power to afford
you that succour which you have reason to expect in case of a misfor-
tune in your quarter. I have as yet received no further accounts of
the action to the southward, but what is contained in the inclosed ;
as soon as 1 do I will forward them to you : I would fain hope, that
in its consequences that action will prove more favourable to us than
at first view it might be expected. I inclose you this day's paper. A
line from you when a leisure moment offers, will be at all times very
agreeable — being with very great regard your most obedient servant,

'' GEO. CLINTON
'^ Th& Hon. Major-general Gates.'"

GENERAL WILKINSON. 225

northern department. Major Robert Troiin* and Major chap.
James Miles Hughes, are appointed aids-de-camp to Ge-
neral Gates, and are to be obeyed as such.

«* The General wishes the conduct of all the ofilccrs
under his command may be such as to render the exer-
tion of the f()n()\vin.5 resolution of Congress entirely un-
necessary : he is sorry the northern army should, by the
conduct of any individuals, be the occasion of such powers
bcin,a^ put into his hands; the good officer will always
lind a patron in the General, the bad one must expect
disgrace."

In Congress, Aug, ±4thf 17 77.

** Resolved, That the commanding officer in the north-
ern department be empowered, for the term of four
months from the date of this rescdution, to suspend offi-
cers under his command for mal-conduct, and to appoint
others in their room, till such time as the pleasure of Con-
gress can be known concerning the person or persons so siis-
pended ; and that he report to Congress with as much de-
spatch as possible, the names of such as he may suspend,
with the cause of their siispension.^'j

* Since Judge Troup of the state of New York.

t " Philadelphia, Aug. 14M, 1777-

-Sir,

"The inclosed resolve which I have the pleasure of transmitting-,
! hope will find you safely arrived at the head of the army in the de-
partment committed to vour care.

" Want of discipline and other disorders, too apt to prevail in are-
treating army, have induced Congress to pass a resolve, empower-
ing you to remedy those evils as far as possible and ihey have for
this purpose authorised you /or the limited time of fJiir months to sus-
pend any officers for misconduct; not doubting that before the expi-
ration of that period, you will be able to introduce that order and
subordination so necessary in a military line. You will be pleased to
forward to Congress with as much despatch as possible, ihe names
of those you may suspend with the reasons of their suspension.

" Your zeal and success in the American cause have hitherto been
so distinguished, that it is impossible for me not to flatter myself with

VOL. I. F f

2^6

MEMOIRS BY

CHAP.
V[.

General
Washing
ton's let-
ter to Go
vernor
Clintoa.

On the 21st the General received a letter from Gover-
nor Clinton, dated at Albany the same day, in which he
ExtracTof ^^y^> '* ^ received a letter last night from his excellency
General Washington, dated Cross Roads, 16t!» August,
in wliich there is the following paragraph. < 1 am for-
warding as fast as possible, to join the northern army,
Colonol Morgan's riflemen, amounting to about five hun-
dred men. These are well chosen men, selected from
the army at large, well acquainted with tiie use of rifles,
and with tliat mode of fighting which is necessary to
make tliem a good counterpoise to the Indians, and have
distinguished themselves on a variety of occasions since
the formation of the corps, in skirmishes with the enemy.
I expect the most eminent services from them, and am
mistaken if their presence does not go far towards pro-
ducing a general desertion among the savages. I should
think it would be well, even before their arrival, to begin
to circulate these ideas with proper embellishments through-
out the country^ and in the army, and to take pains to
comminiicate them to the enemy ; it would not be amiss,
among other things, to magnify numbers.^ "

This letter furnishes strong testimony of General
Washington's impartial attention to the interests of the
service, and his regard to the general safety of the conn-
try J it also proves his deep sagacity and the soundness
of his professional judgment ; and the following corres-
pondence will more fully explain the liberal views and
parental vigilance of the commander in chief, and the
patriot zeal and proper feeling by which General Gates
was actuated at that time.

the expectation, that we'shall ere long have the most agreeable ac-
counts from the department where you command. I beg you will be
pleased to transn^ t every important intelligence, as early as the situa-
tion of affairs will admit. All such resolves as relate to your depart-
ment shall be forwarded without delay. At present I have only to
request your attention lo that herewith transmitted.

" I have the honour to be, with the greatest respect,

" Sir, your most ob't and very humble serv't-
" JOHN HANCOCK, President.
** I/on, Major-General Gates."

CHAP.
VI.

GENERAL WILKINSON. gS7

« H. Q. Buck'^s County y Aug. 20th, 1777.
« Sir,

« By a letter from General Schuyler of the 13th in-
stant, it appears that you had not reached Stillwater at
that time, since which I have not had any accounts from
you, but expect you had arrived there soon after that
date.

« From the various representations made to me, of the
disadvantage the army lay under, particularly the mili.
tia, from an apprehension of tlie Indian mode of fighting.
I have despatched Colonel Morgan, with his corps of
riflemen, to your assistance, and expect they w ill be with
you in eight days from this date. This corp>s I have
great dependence on, and have no doubt but they will be
exceedingly useful to you; as a check given to the savages,
and keeping them within proper bounds, will prevent
General Burgoyne from getting intelligence as formerly,
and animate your other troops, from a sense of their
being more on an equality with the enemy. Colonels
Courtland's and Livingston's regiments are also on their
way to Join you, and must of course be with you in a
very few days. With these reinforcements besides the
militia under General Lincoln (which by this time must
be pretty considei-ablc), I am in hopes you will find
yourself at least equal to stop the progress of Mr. Bur-
goyne, and by cutting off his supplies of provision, &c.
to render his situation ineligible.

<' Since the enemy \ fleet was seen off* Sinipuxent, the
Sth instant, we have no accounts from them which can be
depended on. I am now of opinion that Charleston is the
present object of General Howe's attention, though for
what sufficient reason, unless he expected to drag this
army after him, by appearing at different places, and
thereby leave the country open to General Clinton, to
march out and endeavour to form a junction with Gene-
ral Burgoyne, I am at a loss to determine.

« General Schuyler's sending a reinforcement to Fort
Schuyler, I think was absolutely necessary: and am of

VI.

238 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, opinion, that particular attention should be paid to the
inroads leading to that quarter, as a successful stroke of
the enemy there, might be a means of encouraging the
whole of the Six Nations to unite against us.
*< I am. Sir,

<« Your most obedient servant,
« GO. WASHINGTON.
« Major-general Gates.^*

a Head quarters, Aug. 22d, 1777.

« Sir,

« Upon my arrival in this department, I found the
main body of the army encamped upon Vain Schaick's
island, which is made by the sprouts of the Mohawk
river joining with Hudson's river, nine miles north of Al-
bany. A brigade under General Poor encamped at Lou-
don's ferry, on the south bank of the Mohawk river, five
miles fiom hence; a brigade under General Lincoln had
joined General Stark at Bennington, and a brigade under
General Arnold marched the 15th instant to join the mi-
litia of Tryon county, to raise the siege of Fort Stanwix.
Upon leaving Pliiladelphia, the prospect this way ap-
peared very gloomy ; but the severe checks the enemy
have met with at Bennington and in Tryon county, has
given a more pleasing view to public affairs. Particular
accounts of the signal victory gained by General Stark,
and the severe blow General Heikimer gave Sir John
Jolinston and the scalpers under his command, have been
ti-ansmitted to your excellency by General Schuyler. I
anxiously expect the arrival of an express from General
Arnold, with an account of the total defeat of the enemy
in tliat quarter. By my calculation he reached Fort Stan-
wix the day before yesterday. Colonel Livingston and
Courtland's regiments arrived yesterday, and immediate-
ly joined General Poor's division. I shall also order Ge-
neral Arnold, upon his return, to march to that post. I
cannot sufficiently thank your excellency for sending Co-
lonel Morgan's corps to this army : they will be of the

GENERAL WILKINSON. o.ni

greatest service to it; for until the late successes tiiis chap.
way, I am told the army were quite panic struck by their ^''•
Indians, and their tory and Canadian assassins in Indian '"'^^^'^'^
dresses. Horrible indeed have been the cruelties they
have wantonly committed upon many of the miserable
inhabitants ,• insomuch that all is now fair for General
Burgoyne, even if the bloody hatchet he has so barba-
rously used should find its way into his own head. Go-
vernor Clinton will be here to-day. Upon his arrival, I
shall consult with him and General Lincoln upon the
best plan to distress, and I hope finally defeat, the ene-
my. I am sorry to be necessitated to acquaint your ex-
cellency how neglectfully your orders have been executed
at Springfield — few of the militia demanded arc yet ar-
rived, but I hear of great numbers upon the march. Your
excellency's advice in regard to Morgan's corps, &c. &c.
shall be carefully observed. My scouts and spies inform
me, that the enemy's head quarters and main body are
at Saratoga, and that they have lately been repairing the
bridges between that place and Stillwater. As soon as
time and circumstances will admit, I shall send your ex-
cellency a general return of this army.
« I am Sir,
" Your excellency's most ob't humble serv't.
" HORATIO GATES."
" His Excellency Gen. Washington.''*

Colonel Morgan arrived at head quartei-s on the 23d, Colonel
and his corps got up in a few days, many of the officers ^'^/f*"
and men having sickened, m consequence of the change rifle corps
of climate, or the effects of the march. As whatever re- held^
latcs to a corps of such celebrity may he interesting, I quarters.
have subjoined a copy of the first return [C] received from
Colonel Morgan, who undci-stood the ruse de guerre and
hard fighting, much better than he di<l military details or
tactical evolutions : his second and third oflicers. Lieu-
tenant colonel Richard Butler,* of Pennsylvania, and

• Killed in battle, Nov.4lh, 1791.

330 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. Major Morris* of the Jerseys, were but little inferior to
^'^* Iiim in courage and conduct. To increase the weight
and effect of this corps, which formed the elite of the
army, two hundred and fifty bayonets were added to it,
in the hands of vigorous young men selected from the
line with great caution, and placed under the immediate
charge of Major H. Dearborn, f who had traversed the
wilderness with Arnold, and been a fellow prisoner of
Morgan in Quebec; and a more vigilant or determined
soldier never wore a sword.

General Gates kept up a force in Vermont, under the
direction of General Lincoln, to hang on the left and
rear of the enemy, to watch his motions, take advantage
of any opening he might make, and keep him in check ;
but all the measures of General Burgoyne were now
taken with such sound precautions, as to baffle the enter-
prize of our parti zans : in the mean time, every means
were employed to clothe and arm the American troops,
and by a rigid police, daily drills, and exact inspections,
to prepare and equip them for the most efficient action.
But during this period, the General remained in igno-
rance of the movements of the enemy, and knew not whe-
♦ieneral ther they had crossed the Hudson's river or not. Pending
Burg-oyne ^j^jg suspense, a Doctor Wood, surgeon to General Bur-

complains r ' ' o

of the goyne's hospitals, visited General Gates with a letter
o'rfirkfsh ^^'^^ General Burgoyne, relative to the wounded prison-
prisoners, ers taken near Bennington, of whose treatment he com-
plained. General Gates seized the occasion to retort
upon Burgoyne, the cruelties exercised by the savages
under his orders, and with his encouragement; and call-
ing his particular attention to the fate of a young lady,
a Miss M«Crca, he gave loose to his imagination, and i)i
glowing language, painted the tragic scene in sucli co-
lours, as could but excite the sympathy, and rouse the
indignation of the country: and on this ground and with
these motives only, was the murder of the unfortunate

• Mortally wounded near White Marsh, in a severe skirmish with
the elite of Sir William Howe's army, December 6th, 1/78.
f Late a major-general.

M'Crea.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 231

girl recorded in such sympathetic strains; for was the chap.
melancholy incident stripped of its high colouring, it ^'•
might be thus related : — Miss Jenny M'Crea, a country ^^^^^ ^P
girl, of an honest family in circumstances of mediocrity, Miss
without either beauty or accomplishments, when the Ame-
rican army retreated from Fort Edward the 23d of July,
had the indiscretion to remain behind it, and thus volun-
tarily put herself in the power of the enemy. The In-
dians entered immediately after we retired from the
place and made her prisoner; and as the party returned
towards General Burgoyne\s camp, it has been repre-
sented to me, they hatted at a spring near the side of the
road, where a controversy arose as to the right of pro-
perty in the person of the captive. To put an end to the
dispute, a monster tomahawked her, and thus she fell a
victim to tlie ferocious brutality of the Indians. Her vo-
luntary stay after our troops had departed, may be as-
cribed with as much justice to ignorance as to any other
cause; for it cannot be presumed she could anticipate,
that she would have to encounter a band of rutldess bar-
barians. Such exposition would not accord cither with
the timidity or delicacy of her sex ; but it has been said
that a personal attacliment induced her to remain behind,
and tliat she died for love; therefore her memory should
he honoured and embalmed in the bosom of sensibility.
Yet it was not until after her death, that we heard she
had remained at Fort Edward, in consequence of her at-
tachment to a refugee, who had Joined the British stan-
dard. Her character was unexceptionable, and she had
a cousin or brother, v/ho was I think a surgeon's mate
of the American hospital.

After General Gates had written his letter to Bnr-
goyne, he called General Lincoln and myself into his
apartment, read it to us, and requested our opinions of it,
which we declined giving; but being pressed by him, with
diffidence we concurred in judgment, that he had been
too personal ; to which the old gentleman replied with
his characteristic bluntncss, **By G — d! I don't believe

^33 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, either of you can mend it j" — and thus the consultation
^'- terminated.
Movement "^^^^ American army, about six thousand strong, began
of the to retrace its steps towards the enemy, on the 8th of Sep-
frmy"!'"" tember, and reached Stillwater the next day. The march
was made in good order, and the character of the corps
seemed renovated; courage and confidence having taken
place of timidity and distrust. The ground at this place
was again examined, a line for entrenchments traced, a
fatigue of 1000 men put to work under Colonel Koscius-
ko, and the following order was issued on the 10th. —
" Whether it may be immediately necessary to engage
the enemy on this ground, or push them into Canada,
the General has the firmest opinion that both officers and
soldiers will be ready, at a moment's notice, to execute
his commands." But in the progress of the work it
was discovered, that the low grounds were too exten-
sive to permit the occupancy of the heights on our
left, without weakening our centre, and that by adopt-
ing the alternative, we should be exposed either to be
forced or flanked : the position was therefore condemn-
ed as untenable, before a different one had been se-
lected. It happened that I had, on tlie retreat of the
army, taken notice of a narrow defile, two or three miles
in our front, formed by a spur of the hills, jutting out
close to the river. I communicated the circumstance to
the General, and tlie ground was reconnoitred and ap-
proved ; and on the 12th the army took possession of
Behmus's heights, destined to become the theatre of those
hard fought actions, which were to decide the fate of the
campaign.

The General had received no information of the situa-
tion of the enemy, subsequent to the visit of Doctor
Wood, at which time Burgoyne occupied Duer's house,
at old Fort Miller, his elite at Batten-kiln, opposite
to Saratoga; in fact, he knew not whether they were
advancing, retreating, or stationary. This circumstance
was embarrassing : parties of the riflemen had been

GENERAL WILKINSON. 1^33

tried 5 but being strangers to the topography of the cirAP.
country, they were at a loss for direction, and n»ade no ^'
discovery. Having passed frequently between Fort Ed-
ward and Albany, and paid strict attention to the locali-
ties of the roi'tc, I believed that I could conduct a recon-
noitring party with effect, and proposed it to the Gene-
ral, who approved my purpose, and accordingly after
night-fall the same day, I marched with 150 infantry and
twenty select riilemcn, under that incomparable subal-
tern Lieutenant John Hardin.*

Under cover of a dark night, I advanced directly for
Saratoga, and a little before day break I reached the sum-
mit of a lofty height, about 2 miles from that place, called
Davocote. During a momentary pause to take breath, I
heard tiic generale beat some distance in my front, which
indicated a military movement,' I therefore halted, and
having formed my party in a wood on the flanks of the
road, detached Lieutenant Hardin with his riflemen to
my right, by the low grounds on the side of the river to
make observations, and with an ofticer and three men I
proceeded under cover of the wood on the heights, to the
right bank of the Fish-kill (or creek) in the vicinity of
Saratoga church. It was now broad day light ; 1 posted
my men, to keep a look out towards the road on my
right, and advancing cautiously, I discovered within
three hundred yards of me on the opposite bank of the
creek, a body of men drawn up under arms. At this mo-
ment I heard the march beat, and casting my eyes to-
wards the river, I perceived a column of the enemy de-
scending from the heights below Batten-kill. These
observations satisfied me General Burgoync was ad,
vancing, and I rejoined my scout, who informed me
that two of the enemy's infantry were robbing a gar-

* Afterwards General Hardin of Kentucky, an excellent officer
and most valuable citizen, who havin(j encountered a thousand dan-
gers in ihe service of his country, was treacherously murdered in
1791, hy a party of Indians, as he approachtd Sandusky wiili a flag- of
truic and a talk from General Washington. A braver soldier never
lived — a better man has rarely died.

VOL. L G s

a3* MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, (leii under the hill. We immediately made tliese men
^^ prisoners, and marched back with them to the detach-
'^'^'^''^**^ mcnt at the heights of Davocote, where 1 found Har-
din who had made no discovery, and we returned to
camp about noon.

By tlicse prisoners* General Gates was informed of
General Burgoyne's intentions : that chief, after immense
labour and unavoidable delays, had at length brought for-
ward tVom Lake George to the Hudson's river his baggage,
artillery, military stores, and a month's provisions, with
a sufficiency of live stock and land and water transport,
to move the whole j and thus equipped, he concentrated
his force, abandoned the communication with the lakes,
which his numbers could not sustain, and crossed the
riverf to prosecute his march to Albany, agreeably to his
instructions. Our labours on the fortifications of our
camp were redoubled, in consequence of this advice, and
calls for militia were transmitted to all quarters j the
greater number of General Burgoyne's Indians bad long
before deserted him, and the few who remained had lost
their spirit of cnterprize : this circumstance gave our
riflemen so decided a superiority, that on his approach'
he could not make a motion without our knowledge, nor
peep beyond his guards with safety. The condition of
the two armies was precisely reversed^ and the Ameri-
cans now enjoyed, in the rifle corps, all the advantages
which the enemy had derived from a cloud of barbarians
at the opening of the campaign.

■ Extract of a letter from General Gates to General Lincoln, dated
Hehmns's Heights, Sept. \2th, 1777.

" This morning Colonel Wilkinson brought me in three prisoners,
soldiers of the 20th regiment ; he took them within a small distance
of General Schuyler's house : they declare General Burgoyne was to
march this morning towards Stillwater. This intelligence is further
confirmed by two men lately come from the enemy's camp : they arc.
also all in one story with regard to General Burgoyne's having col-
lected his whole force at and near Saratoga.

t See his letter to Lord George Germain, dated Albany, Oct. 20lh.
\777.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 335

ticncral IJurijoyne crossed the Uudson'.s river Die ]3lli chap.
and litli of September, and advanced with great circiini- ^''•
Hpcction on the 15th from Saratoga to Davocote, where Gen^r^
Jjc halted to repair biidges in liis front. The 16th was Bur-
employed on this labour, and in reconnoitring: o'> the ^^'g^J^'j^'g^^
17th ho advanced a mile or two, resumed his march on from ^a-

pQi/jCji to

the 18th, and General Arnold was detached by General Davocoie.

Gates, with 1500 men, to harass him; but after a light

skirmish, he returned without loss or effecting any thing

more, than picking up a few stragglers : and the enemy Descrip-

moved forward and encamped in two lines, about two ^'^" °^ *"*

camp.
miles from General Gates ; his left on the river, and his

riglit extending at right angles to it, across the low
grounds about six hundred yards to a range of steep and
lofty heights occupied by his elite, having a creek or
gulley in his front, made by a rivulet which issued from
a great ravine, formed by the hills which ran in a direc-
tion nearly parallel to the river, until within half a mile
of the American camp.

General Gates's right occupied the brow of tlie hill Descrip-
]icar tlic river, with which it was connected by a deep ^°ne°jji
intrcnchment; his camp, in the form of a segment of a Gates's
great circle, the convex towards the enemy, extended ^^^^^'
rather obliquely to his rear, about three-fourths of a mile
to a knoll occupied by his left ; his front was covered
from the right to the left of the centre, by a sharp ravine
runniug parallel with his line and closely wooded: from
thence to the knoll at his extreme left, the ground was
Jevcl and had been partially cleared, some of the trees
being felled and others girdled, beyond which in front of
his left ilank, and extending to the enemy's right, there
were several small fields in very imperfect cultivation,
ti»e surface broken and obstructed with stumps and fallen
timber, and the whole bounded on the west by a steep
eminence. The extremities of this camp were defended
by strong batteries, and the interval was strengthened
by a breastwork without intrenchments, constructed of
the bodies of felled trees, logs and rails, with an addi-
tional battery at au opening left of the centre. The right

336

»IEMOIRS BY

CHAP, was almost impracticable ,• the left difficult of approacli,
^^' I describe the defences of this position as they appeared
about the 4th of October.

The intermediate space between the adverse armies on
the low grounds of the river was open and in cultivation^
the high land was clothed in its native woods, with the
exception of three or four small, newly opened and de-
serted farms, separated by intervals of woodland, and bor-
dering on the flanks of the two armies, most remote from
the river; the principal of these was an oblong field, belong-
ing to a person of the name of Freeman ; there was also,
exclusive of the ravines fronting the respective camps, a
third ravine, about mid-way between them, running at
right angles to the river. The intervening forest render-
ed it utterly impracticable to obtain a front view of the
American position, or any part of the British except its
left near tbe river. On the 18th Lieutenant-colonel Col-
burn, of the New Hampshire line, was detached to the
east side of the river with a light party to observe the
movements of the enemy, by climbing forest trees or
other practicable means, with orders to report such ob-
servations as he might consider worthy of notice.
Further About 8 o'clock on the morning of the 19th Septem-

movement jjgj. j received information from Colonel Colburn, that
or the

the enemy had struck the chief part of tbeir tents on the

plain near the river, had crossed the gulley at the gorge
of the great ravine, and were ascending the heights in a
direction towards our left. On making this communica-
tion to tiie General, he immediately ordered Colonel
Morgan to advance with his corps, wIjo was instructed,
should he find the enemy approaching, to hang on their
front and flanks, to retard their march, and cripple them
as much as possible.

About half after twelve o'clock, a report of small
arms announced ^Jorgan's corps to be engaged in front
of our left; the General with his suite was at this time
examining the battery which had been commenced on our
left: I asked leave to repair to the scene of action, but
Tvas refused witli this observation, «It is your duty. Sir,

enemy.

Action
com-

mences.

GENERAL WILKINSON. S37

to wait my orders." This firintj was of short duration, chap.
but was soon recommenced with redoubled vivacity : I ^ *
then made an excuse to visit the picket on the left for in-
telligence, put spurs to my horse, and directed by the
sound, had entered the wood about an hundred rods, when
tlie fire suddenly ceased : I however pursued my course,
and the first ollicer I fell in with was Major Dearborn,
who, with great animation and not a little warmth, was
forming thirty or forty file of his infantry : I exchanged
a few words with him, passed on and met Major Mor-
ris alone, who was never so sprightly as under a hot
fire; from him I learnt tliat the corps was advancing by
files in two lines, wlien they unexpectedly fell upon a
picket of the enemy, which they almost instantly forced,
and pursuing the fugitives, their front had as unexpect-
edly fallen in with the British line; that several officers
and men had been made prisoners, and that to save him-
self, he had been obliged to push his horse through the
ranks of tlie enemy, and escaped by a circuitous route.
To shew me where the action commenced, he leaped a
fence into the abandoned field of Freeman, choked up
\vith weeds, and led me to the cabin which had been oc-
cupied by the British picket, but was then almost encir-
cled with dead ; he then cautioned me to keep a look out
for the enemy, who he observed could not be far from
us; and as I never admired exposition from which nei-
ther advantage nor honour could be derived, 1 crossed
the angle of the field, leapt the fence, and just before me
on a ridge discovered Lieutenant-colonel Butler with
three men, all treeUl; from him I learnt that they had
«• caught a Scotch prize," that having forced the picket,
they had closed with the British line, had been instantly
routed, and from the suddenness of the shock and the na-
ture of the ground, were broken and scattered in all di-
rections ; he repeated Morris's caution to me, and re-
marked that the enemy's sharpshooters were on the op-
posite side of the ravine, and that being on horseback, I
should attract a shot. We changed our position, and the
Colonel inquired what were Morgan's orders^ aiul in-

gSa MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, formed me that he had seen a heavy column moving to-
^' wards our left. I then turned about to regain the camp,
and report to the General, when my ears were saluted
by an uncommon noise, which I approached, and per-
ceived Colonel Morgan attended by two men only, who
with a turhey calU^ was collecting his dispersed troops.
The moment I came up to him, he burst into tears, and
exclaimed, « I am ruined, by G — d ! Major Morris ran
on so rapidly with the front, that they were beaten be-
fore I could get up with the rear,f and my men are
scattered God knows where." I remarked to the Colonel
that he had a long day before him to retrieve an inaus-
picious beginning, and informed him wlicre I had seen
his field officers, which appeared to cheer him, and we
parted.

Having reported to the General, he ordered out Cil-
lcy*s and Scammel's regiments, of New Hampshire, to
march and fall in on the left of Morgan, for which pur-
pose I gave them the best direction my observation on
the ground enabled me to do. Tiicse regiments advanced
through the woods, took ground on the left of Morgan,
and the action was renewed about one o'clock, and
was supported with spirit, though subject to occasional
pauses, as the troops on either side advanced, retired,

* An instrument made for decoying the wild turkey.

f It was the invariable rule of Colonel Morgan when marching to
action, to bring up the rear of his corps. As this mode was singular,
I took occasion to enquire into his motives, and he answered me
briefly, they were "to see that every man did his duty, and that
cowards did not lag behind, whilst brave men were fighting." Very
different was the general conduct of Mons. Greder, who for many
years commanded Marshal Saxe's French regiment of infantry. " It
was his rule (says the marshal) to receive the fire of the enemy, and
sword in hand, to charge at the head of his colours, calling on his
men to follow him."' Tiie first case supposes the men advancing in
quest of .an enemy, the last that they are formed to make or receive
the attack. Grader's manner was the most brilliant, Morgan's cer-
tainly the most judicious. Except in cases of extraordinary pres-
sure, it is the duty of the subordinate to lead, and the superior to
direct: extraordinary cases alone authorize a departure, and the ju-
dicious officer will always aviiil himself of it— no rule can teach it,

GENERAL WILKINSON. 339

and shifted their ground. Halcs's regiment of New giiap.
Hampshire, Van Courtland's and Henry Livingston's of ^''
New York, and Cook's and Latimer's of the Connecti-
cut militia, were successively led to the field, with or-
ders to extend to the left, and support those points of the
action, where they perceived the greatest pressure ; our
right being secured by thickets and ravines. About three
o'clock the action became general; and from that period
until night fall, the fire of the musketry was incessant;
the enemy brougiit four field pieces into the engagement,
but on our side the ground was impracticable to artillery.
Towards evening General Learned's whole brigade was
ordered out, consisting of Bailey's, Weston's, and Jack-
son's regiments, of Massachusetts, and James Living-
ston's of New York, together with Marshall's regiment
of Patterson's brigade and the Massachusetts line. These
troops got into action with a part of the British light
corps, which had kept its ground to cover Burgoyne's
right, and a column of Germans, whom he had drawn
from his left just ahout sunset, and of consequence they
were but lightly engaged, as is manifest from their loss.
If these columns had met at an earlier hour of the day,
something decisive must have taken place, the ground
being somewhat open and on the right flank of the ene-
my. We had about three thousand men on tiie field, and
the enemy, from General Burgoyne's account, about
three thousand five hundred ; on our part, the stress of
the action fell upon Morgan's corps and Poor's brigade,
and on that of the enemy it was chiefly sustained by Ha-
milton's brigade, consisting of the 20th, 21st, and 62d
British infantry, with a brigade of artillery under Cap-
tain Jones, who was killed.

This battle was perfectly accidental; neither of the The ac-
generals meditated an attack at the time, and but for ^ffect'lj^f
Lieutenant-colonel Colburn's report, it would not have accident.
taken place; Burgoyne's movement being merely to take
ground on the heights in front of the great ravine, to
give his several corps their proper places in line, to em-
brace our front and cover his transport, stores, provi- |t

240 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, sioiis and baggage in rear of his left; and on our side
^'^ the defcnres of our camp being not half completed and
reinforcements daily arriving, it was not General Gates's
policy to court an action. The misconception of the ad-
verse chiefs put them on the defensive, and confined them
to the ground they casually occupied at the beginning of
the action, and prevented a single manoeuAMC, during one
of the longest, warmest, and most obstinate battles fought
in America. General Gates believed that his antagonist
intended to attack him, and circumstances appeared to
justify the like conclusion on the part of Burgoyne ; and
as the tliickness and depth of the intervening wood con-
cealed the position and movements of either army from
its adversary, sound caution obliged the respective com-
manders to guard every assailable point; thus the flower
of the British army, the grenadiers and light infantry,
one thousand five hundred strong, were posted on an emi-
nence to cover its right, and stood by their arms, inac-
tive spectators of the conflict until near sunset ; while
General Gates was obliged to keep his right wing on
post, to prevent the enemy from forcing that flank, by
the plain bordering on the river. Had either of the ge-
nerals been jjroperly apprised of the dispositions of his
antagonist, a serious blow might have been struck oh
our left or the enemy's right; but although nothing is
more common, it is as illiberal as it is unjust, to deter-
mine the merits of military operations by events exclu-
sively. It was not without experience that the Romans
erected temples to Fortune. Later times might afford
motives for edifices, in which genius or wisdom would
have no votaries.
The scene The theatre of action was such, that altliough the com-

o\ action ...

described, batants changed ground a dozen times in the course of
the day, the contest terminated on the spot where it be-
gan. This may be explained in a few words. The Bri-
tish line was formed on an eminence in a thin pine wood,
having biforc it Freeman's farm, an oblong field stretch-
ing from the ciHitrc towards its riglit, the ground in front
sloping gently down to the verge of this field, which was

GENERAL WILKINSON. 2U

bordered on the opposite side by a close wood ; the 8an- chap.
giiiiuiry scene lay in the cleared ground, between the ^ '
eminence occupied by the enemy and the wood just de-
scribed ; tlic fire of our marksmen from this wood was
too deadly to be withstood by the enemy in line, anil
when they gave way and broke, our men rushing from
their covert, pursued them to the eminence, where, having
their Hanks protected, they rallied, and charging in turn
drove us back into the wood, from whence a dreadful fire
would again force them to fall back ; and in this manner
did the battle fluctuate, like waves of a stormy sea, with
alternate advantage for four liours without one moment's
intermission. The British ai'tillcry fell into our posses-
sion at every charge, but we could neither turn the pieces
upon the enemy, nor bring them off j the wood prevented
the last, and the want of a match the first, as the lint-
stock was invariably carried off, and the rapidity of the
transitions did not allow us time to provide one. The
slaughter of this brigade of artillerists was remarkable,
the captain and tliirty-six men being killed or wounded
out of forty-eight. It was truly a gallant conflict, in
which death by familiarity lost his terrors, and certainly
a drawn battle, as night alone terminated it; the Britisli
army keeping its ground in rear of ther field of action,
and our corps, when they could no longer distinguish ob-
jects, retiring to their own camp. — Yet General Bur-
goyne claimed a victory, as may be seen by the following
letters* to Brigadier-general Powell, commanding atTi-
conderoga.

• Prior to the action of (he 19th, Lieutenant Hardin had been de-
tached with a light party to the rear of the British army, to take a
prisoner, and pick up intellij^ence. On his return near Saralo,<*, ihe
x!2d, he met an Indian courier in a path on tlie summit of a sharp
ridg'e; they were within a few paces, presented and firod at the same
instant ; the Indian fell, and Hardin escaped with a scratch of his an-
tas^onist's ball on his U-ftside; the letters of Burgoync to Powell,
and several others were found in the shot pouch of tlie dead Indian,
and delivered by the Lieutenant at head quarters.
vot. I. II h

m2 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP.

VI- « Camp near Slilhvater, Sept, 20, 1777.

« Dear Sir,
General « 1 take the first opportunity to inform you we have
goyne's ^'^'^ ^ s!uart aii(l very honourable action, and are now en-
account of camped in the front of the field, which must demonstrate
the action. • . , , ., c * •

our Victory beyond the power ot even an American news-
writer to explain away.

*< The loss on either side cannot be particularly ascer-
tained. \
« Be so good as to give Sir Guy Carleton an ac-
count of this event, witli my respects to him, till I can
have an opportunity of sending him the particulars by a
safe conveyance.

" I am, Dear Sir, with great esteem,

" Your most obedient servant..
" J. BURGOYNE."

« Camp near Stillwater, Sept. 21, 1777.
•• Dear Sir,

«< I hear the enemy is not a little disconcerted with the
reception they met with in the action of the 19th. AVe
found five hundred of their bodies the morning after.

« Had the action happened nearer the Hudson's river
than it did, so that the left column, wliich moved near the
shore, could have been brought into action early, not a
man had escaped. It is said they are in some force of
militia towards Connecticut, with a detachment at Pau-
let. If so press on St. Leger to put in execution the plan
of his instructions,

« Having writ to you more at large yesterday, I have
only to add my good wishes and have the honour to be,
" Dear Sir,

« Your most obedient servant,
«J. BURGOYNE."

To correct these illusions of General Burgoyne, I
will beg leave to introduce a letter which 1 wrote the

GENERAL WILKINSON. 213

day after the action to Colonel Visdicr, chairman of cm \p,
the committee at Albany, by order of General (iates, in ^ '
which there could be no interest to deceive; but shiiuld
this document fail of effect, then the following official let-
ter of General Gates and the return [D] of killed and
wounded must remove all doubts.

« Camp 4 miles above Stillwater, Sept. 90, 1777.
« Dear Sir,

« General Gates being extremely hurried has desired Colonel
me to answer your letter of this day. The committee gg^'s ^g.
have his hearty thanks for their attention paid to the count of
wounded. The wagons they have sent on will meet ofihei9th
them at Stillwater, to which place they have been sent in Sept 1777.
boats. The General is sensible that the committee will
afford the director-general, Dr. Potts, every assistance
in their power, whose care and attention to those unfor-
tunate brave men, deserves the highest credit.

« Being yesterday informed by our reconnoitring par-
ties that the enemy had struck their camp and were ad-
vancing towards our left, the General detached Colo-
nel Morgan's light corps to examine their direction and
liarass their advance. This party at half past twelve fell
in with a picket of the enemy wliich they immediately
drove, and after a brisk fire were beat back by a strong
reinforcement. This skirmish drew a regiment from our
camp, and the main body of the enemy to support the
action, which after a short cessation was renewed with
double ardour, and continued incessant till the close of
the day, when our men retired to camp, and the enemy a
small distance in rear of the field. The succour which
we occasionally detached amounted to eleven continental
and two militia regiments. 1 have not yet obtained a re-
turn, but have reason to believe that our killed do not ex-
ceed eighty, and that the missing and wounded do not
amount to two hundred. The concurrent testimony of
the prisoners and deserters of various characters, assures

3M MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. US, that General Burgoyne who commanded in pei-son
^^ was wounded* in the left shoulder, that the 62d regiment
was cut to pieces, and that the enemy suffered extremely
in every quarter where they were engaged. As General
Burgoyne's situation will shortly constrain him to a de-
cisive action, reinforcements should he immediately push-
ed forward to our assistance, as our numbers are far from
being equal to an insurance of victory, and every bosom
must anticipate the consequances of a defeat. The ene-
my have quietly licked their sores this day.

« The news of the taking of Ticonderoga is corrobo-
rated by several prisoners, and as an attack was design-
ed on that post, I am inclined to believe it.
" I am. Dear Sir, &c.

« JAMES WILKINSON.
« Colonel Matt. Vischery

Extract oj a letter from Major-general Gates to the honour-
able John Hancock, President of Congress, dated Camp,
Heights above Behmans, Sept. 22d, 1777.

" Friday morning I was informed by my reconnoitring
parties, tliat the enemy had struck their camp, and were
removing towards our left. I immediately detached Co-
lonel Morgan's corps, consisting of the rifle regiment
and the light infantry of the army, to observe their direc-
tion, and harass their advance. This party at half-past
twelve, fell in with a picket of the enemy, which they
immediately drove; but the enemy being reinforced, after
a brisk conflict they were in turn obliged to retire. This
skirmish drew the main body of the enemy, and a bri-
gade from my left, to support the action, which after a
short cessation, was renewed with great warmth and vio-
lence. At this instant, hearing from prisoners that the
whole British force and a division of foreigners, had en-

• This was an error, it was Captain Green aid-de-camp to Gene-
ral Philips, who was wounded.

M^'^

'/

GENERAL WILKINSON. 34,5

gaged our party, I reinforced with four more regiments, chap.
This continued the action till the close of day, when both ^'•
armies retired from the field. Inclosed is a return of our
loss, and I am well assured, by the concurrent testimony
of prisoners and deserters of various characters, that Ge-
neral Burgoyne, who commanded in person, received a
wound in his left shoulder — that the 62d regiment was
cut to pieces, and that the enemy suffered extremely in
every quarter where tJiey were engaged. The general
good behaviour of the troops on this important occasion,
cannot be surpassed by the most veteran army: to dis-
criminate in praise of the officers would be injustice, as
they all deserve the honour and applause of Congress :
Lieutenant-colonel Colhurn, and Lieutenant-colonel
Adams, with the rest of the unfortunate brave who fell
in their country's cause, leave a lasting monument to
their glory. The armies remain encamped within two
miles of each other.

"This instant I vs'rote to all the neighbouring states,
and pressingly demanded the immediate march of their
militia. Wlien proper reinforcements arrive, I hope to
give your excellency more interesting intelligence. In-
closed is a return of the army, which but barely equals
that of the enemy."

It is worthy of remark, that not a single general qfficerwas No gene-

on thejicld of battle the I9th Sept. until the evening, when ""^^jfjlj/^

General Learned was ordei'ed out 5 about the same time of battle

Generals Gates and Arnold were in front of the centre of *''^ ^^^

evening-

the camp, listening to the peal of small arms, when Colo-
nel M. Lewis* deputy quarter-master general returned
from the field, and being questioned by the General, he
reported the undecisive progress of the action ; at which
Arnold exclaimed, "by G — d Itvill soon put an end to it,*^
and clapping spurs to his horse, gallopped off" at full
speed ', Colonel Lewis immediately observed to General

*■ Late Major-general in the UuUcd States service.

^6

MEMOIRS BY

CHAP.
VI.

Action
sustained
by indivi-
dual cou-
rage ra-
ther than
military
skill.

Death of
Ensign
Phillips, a
wounded
prisoner.

Reflec-
tions
thereon.

Gates, " you had better order him back, the action is
going well, he may by some rash act do mischief." I
was instantly despatched, overtook, and remanded Ar-
nold to camp. This battle then, was fought by the gene-
ral concert and zealous co-operation of the corps engag-
ed, and was sustained more by individual courage than
military discipline, for it will be seen by reference to the
return of killed and wounded, that Colonel Cook's regi-
ment of Connecticut militia, suffered more than any other,
except the intrepid Cilley's ; in the course of the day pri-
soners were made on both sides. We had three officers*
and twenty privates taken, and we captured upwards of
an hundred of the enemy.

The morning after the action, I visited the wounded
prisoners who had not been dressed, and discovered a
charming youth not more than 16 years old, lying among
them ; feeble, faint, pale and stiff in his gore, the delica-
cy of his aspect, and the quality of his clothing attracted
my attention, and on enquiry, I found he was an Ensign
Phillips ; he told me he had fallen by a wound in his leg
or thigh, and as he lay on the ground was shot through
the body by an army follower, a murderous villain, who
avowed the deed, but I forgot his name ; the moans of
this hapless youth affected me to tears; I raised him from
the straw on which he lay, took him in my arms and re-
moved him to a tent, where every comfort was provided
and every attention paid to him, but his wounds were
mortal, and he expired on the 21st; when his name was
first mentioned to General Gates, he exclaimed "just
Heaven ! he may be the nephew of my wife," but the fact
was otherwise.

Let those parents who are now training their children
for the military profession ; let those misguided patriots,
who are inculcating principles of education subversive of
the foundations of the republic, look on this picture of

' Captain Vanswearingen and Lieutenant Moore of Morgan's corps,
and Captain Jason Walts of Cilky's regiment.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 247

distress, taken from the life, of a youth in a strange land, chap.
far removed from friends and relations, co-mingled with ^'^
the dying and the dead, himself wounded, helpless and
expiring with agony, and then should political considera-
tions fail of effect, I hope, the feelings of affection and the
obligations of humanity, may induce them to discounte-
nance the pursuits of war, and save their offspring from
the seductions of the plume and the sword, for the more
solid and useful avocations of civil lifej by which alone
peace and virtue and the republic can be preserved, and
perpetuated. — A dupe during my whole life, to the preju-
dices I now reprobate, I speak from experience, and dis-
charge a conscientious duty, when I warn my country
against military enthusiasm, and the pride of arms ; and
against the arts and intrigues by which the yeomanry, the
palladium of the republic, are depreciated, and standing
armies and navies are encouraged. — For what would it
avail the citizens of the United States, if, in a political
frenzy, they should barter their rights and liberties for
national renown? And who would exchange the blessings
of freedom, for the repute of having eclipsed the whole
human race, in feats of valour and deeds of arms ? This
is a serious question ! It affects the vital interests of every
freeman, and the course of the government makes it pro-
per and necessary, that the citizens of these states should
pause and reflect before it be too late ; we have escaped
from one war with a crippled constitution ; the next will
probably destroy it; therefore, let the motto of the state
be PEACE.

The authentic return which is presented to the reader
will exhibit our loss of killed, wounded and missing; and
the names of the meritorious officers who fought and bled
on that memorable day, are recorded that they may be
handed down to posterity, in honour of their families and
descendants; frequently in the course of this action did I see
private men, after getting their wounds bound up, return
to the field of battle ; our whole loss was reported at 65
killed, 218 wounded and 38 missing, but of the last fifteen

24S MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. ^ygj,g killed ; and I learned from Lieutenant-colonel King
\^^-y^''>^^ ston, General Burgoyne's adjutant -general, after the con-
vention of Saratoga, that the British loss was 600 killed
and wounded, but before the House of Commons he states
the number at 500, or upwards.

Several incidents occurred immediately before and
after the action of the 19th of Septemher, which may
be worthy of record ; of these the conduct of the he-
rocs of Bennington, was not the least extraordinary.
General General Lincoln who had been detached to the Hamp-
projects a shire grants, as has been observed, projected an enter-
successful prise against the enemy's post, at the north end of Lake
agatnstthe George, which was handsomely executed by Colonel
enemy. Brown j who, on the 18th September surprised and made
prisoners a considerable part of four companies of the
53d British regiment, released 100 prisoners, and
took an armed sloop with several sea officers ; thence he
pushed his operations in concert with Colonel Johnson,
against Ticonderoga, and Mount Independence, but for
want of suitable artillery and munitions of war, he could
make no impression on those posts. Previous to this en-
tei^prise, the movements of General Burgoyne, had in-
duced General Gates to order a junction of the militia
from the Hampshire grants, v^ith the main body, in con-
sequence of which General Stark, by easy marches and a
n circuitous route, reached head-quarters with his corps on

the morning of the 18th, the day preceding tlie action.
The army was animated by the arrival of a band of citi-
zen-soldiers who had conquered the Germans and killed
their commander near Bennington ; but the term of ser-
vice, for which these men were engaged, expired with the
day, and every exertion was made, to induce them, to
wait the event of an action, which was daily expected ;
but to the exhortations of the commander in chief, and
the persuasions of many other officers, no decisive reply
Departure could he obtained. General Stark and his subordinates,
litia the " thought it proper, and necessary tliey should adliere to
«iay pre- the service," but I observed they employed no influence

GENERAL WILKlNSOxX. 310

to iiromote the end, which was in effect to discourage it; ciiAi*.
the men communicated with each other in whispers, and ^ '
a buz was heard around tlicir fires; for they had neither yj^^^jg ^^
unpacked the baggage which they carried on their backs, tlie action,
nor Iai(f down to repose ; I left tliis hord of hardy free- tothcoHi-
men, about 11 o'clock, determined to watch the result, ceis.
and about 5 minutes after 12, I discovered them in mo-
tion, the aid-de-camp of tlie General called for the parole,
to pass the guards of the camp, and I verily believe nei-
ther officer nor private was left behind ; nor could they
have been beyond the sound of the action when it began,
yet not a man returned. This punctuality of the father,
the husband and the son, who till their own ground and
enjoy the sweets of domestic life, is not reprehensible,
since it is enjoined by an irresistible impulse of nature.
These citizens had fought once, and having served the
term of their engagement, were desirous to tell the tale
of " feats performed," and look into their private affairs,
after viiiich they were ready again to take arms ; when
the agents of the government shall cease to sacrifice the
interests of the public to the spirit of faction; when the
sacred obligations which every man owes to the defence
of the country, shall produce an impartial distribution of
duties among all the people, and call forth the yeoman-
ry by salutary laws, in seasonable requisitions, then there
will be no chasms in the ranks of the militia, numbers
will always follow an exact and well defined rotation,
and punctuality in service will become a point of honour.

On the morning of the 20th about 7 o'clock, a deserter Arrival of
was escorted through a thick fog to the adjutant-gene- ^gggp^gp
ral's quarters; he was from the 62d regiment; his paint-
ed lips shewed that he had been uncapping cartridges
with his teeth, and had not since washed his face : on his
examination he declared, <« that he had been in the whole
of the action the day before, that after night all the
wounded and the women had been removed to the en-
campment and hospital tents near the river, and that
fresh ammunition had been served to the troops who had
VOL. I. I i

25U MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, been engaged (as a proof of which he shewed his car- '
^^^.^^.;^^^ tridge box with 60 rounds) ,• that he had left the ranks
not 15 minutes before, pretending an occasion of nature;
that the whole army was under aims, and orders had
been given for the attack of our lines ; that the mutiny
act had been read at the head of each corps, and that
they expected to march in ten minutes." He appeared
to be much alarmed, and begged to be discharged with a
pass, declaring that we should have « the grenadiers at
our lines on the left, in fifteen minutes." Full credit was
given to the report, and onr lines were manned, and tho
troops exhorted ; but we were badly fitted to defend
works, or meet the close rencontre; the late hour at
which the action closed the day before, the fatigue of offi-
cers and men, and the defects of our organization, had
prevented the left wing from drawing ammunition, and
we could not boast of more than a bayonet for every
three muskets; the fog obscured every object at the short
distance of twenty )» ards. We passed an hour of awful
expectation and suspense, during which, hope, fear and
anxiety played on the imagination : many could hear the
movement of the enemy, and others could discern through
the floating mist the advance of their column; but be-
tween eight and nine o'clock the sun dispersed the va-
pour, and we had no enemy in view ; the report of the
deserter was discredited, and the troops dismissed; and
yet his information was circumstantially correct, as is
proved by the following authentic facts.
Ihe de- In the summer after the convention of Saratoga, I was
count con- dining with Major-general Phillips, at his quarters in Cam-
firmed af- bridge, near Boston, when the conversation turning upon

terwards ° . , r, , . . . . .

by Major our Campaign on the Hudson's river, he was remarking.
Philips 111 jjy^ often the fortune of war and the fate of empires were -

a conver- ^

sation determined by circumstances trivial and unexpected ; and
kinson^'^ by way of illustration he gave me the following anec-
dote : — " After the affair of the 19th September termi-
nated. General Burgoyne determined to attack you the
next morning on your left, with his whole force; our ,
woimded, and sick, and women had been disposed of at

GENERAL WILKINSON. S51

tlie river; the army was formed early on the raorning of chap.
the 20th, and we waited only for the dispersion of the ^'
fog, when General Frascr observed to General Bur-
goyne, that the grenadiers and light infantry who were
to lead the attack, appeared fatigued by the duty of the
preceding day, and that if he would suspend the operation
until the next morning, he was persuaded they would
carry the attack with more vivacity. Burgoyne yielded
to the proposition of Fraser; the orders were counter-
manded, and the corps returned to camp ; and as if in-
tended for your safety and our destruction, in the course
of the night a spy reached Burgoyne with a letter frt)ni
General Sir Henry Clinton,* advising him of his in-

* Copy of a letter from General Burgoyne to Sir Henry Clhiton, Sept.
23d, 1777.— received Oct. 5th.

" Have lost the old cypher, but being sure from the tenor of your
letter you meant it so to be read, I have made it out—An attack, or
the menace of an attack, upon Montgomery, must be of great use,
as it will draw away a part of this force, and I will follow them close.
Do it my dear friend directly. Yours ever faithfully. J. B."

From the Same to the Same, Sept. 2Sth, 1777. — received Oct. 5th, 1777.

" The bearer. Captain Campbell, an officer of great merit and full
confidence, is charged with an exact duplicate of my message to your
excellency despatched yesterday by another officer. 1 request tlie
most speedy answer by triplicate. Believe me, 8tc.

"J. BURGOYNE."

Copy of a conversation held bet-ween Captain Campbell and Sir Henry

Clinton.

" Captain Campbell was desired by General Burgoyne to tell me,
that the general's whole army did not exceed 5000 men ; that the
consequences of the battle on the 19th, was the loss of between five
and six hundred men, that the enemy \va* within a mile and an half
of him; that he knew not their certain numbers, but believed them
to be twelve or fourteen thousand men ; that there was besides a con-
siderable body in his rear; that he wished to receive my orders whe-
ther he should attack or retreat to the lakes ; that lie had but provi-
sion to the 20th of this month, and that he would not have given up
his communications with Ticonderoga, had lie not expected a co-ope-
rating army at Albany ; that he wished to know my positive answer
as soon as possible, whether 1 could open a commiinicutiou with Al-

SJiiS

MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, tended expedition against tlie highlands, which deterr-
^' mined Burgoyne to postpone the meditated attack of
your army, and wait events ; the golden, glorious oppor-
tunity was lost — you grew stronger every day, and on
the 7th of October overwhehned us."

General Burgoyne in his defence admits these facts
substantially, and what an extraordinary coincidence
of circumstances do they unfold. The apparent fa-
tigue of the grenadiers, who it was true had stood
by their arms the day before, but had rested all night,
must have been ratlier affected tlian real, but their con-
dition gained time for the arrival of Clinton's messen-
ger, whose every step was taken at the peril of his
life, and yet he escaped our vigilance, and reached
General Burgoyne in season to prevent the proposed at-
tack of the 21st, and in the mean time we completed our
lines, and received a considerable accession of strength ;
Probable but if General Burgoyne had attacked us on the 20th or
General ^^^^ ^^ September, as he intended, his force would have
Bur- enabled him to lead a column of 5000 rank and file against

atuck^ on** l^^ft, where the ground was most favourable to his
had he approach; whilst a feint on our right, by the plain near

made it on , ' , ., , , , ' . ,• . .

the 20th the river, would have kept every man at Ins station

or 21st. vvithin our extensive lines; and under stich advantages

on his side, it is highly probable, he would have gained

a decisive victory, and taken our artillery and baggage;

bany, when I should be there, and when there keep my communica-
tion with New York; that if he did not hear^from me by the 15th inst.
he should retire. — To which I returned the following answer by Cap-
tain Campbell, viz. That not having received any instructions from the
commander in chief respecting the northern army, and unacquainted even
-with his intentions respecting that army, except his ivishes that they should
get to Jllhnny, Sir 11. Clinton cannot presume to give any orders to
General I?iirgoync. General Burgoyne could not suppose Sir H. Clin-
ton had an idea of penetrating to Albany, with the small force he
mentioned in his last letter. What he offered in that letter he has
now undertaken : cannot by any means promise himself success, but
hopes it will be at any rate serviceable to General Burgoyne, as Ge-
neral Burgoyne says in his letter answering the offer (23d Sept.)
that even the menace of an attack luouldbe of service." See Parliamen-
tary Register, 1778, p. 245—217.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 253

for although our numbers in rank and file exceeded six chap.
thousand, the sick, casualties, and contingencies of tlie ^'•
service, would not have left us more than five thousand
five hundred men for defence; and from the formation of
our camp, by penetrating on the left, he would have cut
off our right J and shall we presume to ascribe this cri-
tical combination of incidents to mere accident, or the ca-
price of fortune? — Presumptuous as well as blind must
lie be who does so.

The effects of the combat of the 1 9th Sept. in which
resistance was interpreted into triumpli by both armies,
produced the most favourable consequences: the militia
flocked to our camp, and a band of Oneida Indians join-
ed our standard. These sons of the forest almost daily
presented scalps and prisoners at head quarters, and their
shocking death halloo resounded through our lines. This
was turning upon the enemy, the vengeance which they
had prepared to inflict upon us; but it was an inhuman
resort against which my feelings revolted.

About this time a difference took place between Gene- DifTerence
ral Gates and General Arnold, which terminated in a ^f^^^*=^"

General

public quarrel, and may be traced to official presumption Gates and
and conscious superiority on one side, and an arrogant ?^"^'l'
spirit and impatience of command on the other. General
Gates had, by a violent exertion of power, screened Ar-
nold from disgrace the preceding campaign, and Arnold
conceived he had by his voluntary perils and the eclat ac-
quired in the command of tlie fleet on Lake Champlain,
cancelled the obligation. Gates trusted to the confidence
of Congress for the support of his authority, and Arnold
relied on feats of arms and intrepidity of character for po-
pular patronage. With such pretensions, the smallest spark
of collision sufficed to light up the flames of discord.

In perfect ignorance of any precedent arrangement,
between General Gates and General Arnold, I liad ob-
served that the latter exercised command over the elite
corps under Colonel Morgan, which was neither brigaded
nor encamped in the line, and was of riglit and propriety
responsible to licad quarters only. These anomalies in-

§54 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, terfered with the staff duties as well as general detailS;,
^^^' and I mentioned the circumstance to General Gates, wlio,
on the 22d September issued the following order, to es-
tablish a perfect understanding of his intentions.

GENERAL ORDER.

General « Colonel Morgan's corps not being attached to any
22dSept. brigade or division of the army, he is to make returns

and reports to head quarters only ; from whence alone

he is to receive orders."

As soon as this order was handed to Arnold, he re-
paired to head quarters in great warmth, asserted his
pretensions to the command of the elite, and was ridi-
culed by General Gates : high words and gross language
ensued, and Arnold retired in a rage. The consequences
of this interview will be best explained by the following
correspondence, in which General Arnold hastily com-
mitted himself, and General Gates seizing the advan-
tage, occluded him from command.

« Camp Stillwater, Sept. 22(1, ±777.
« Sir,
General ** When I joined the army at Vanschaick's Island, the
Arnold's gpg^ instant you were pleased to order me to Loudon's

letter to

General ferry to take the command of Generals Poor's and Learn-
ed's brigade and Colonel Morgan's battalion of riflemen
and light infantry. Your commands were immediately
obeyed, I have repeatedly since received your orders re-
specting the corps, as belonging to my division, which
has often been mentioned in general orders,* and the
gentlemen commanding those corps have understood
themselves as my division. On the 9th instant you de-
sired me to annex the New York and Connecticut mili-
tia to such brigades as I thought proper in my division,
which I accordingly did, and ordered the New York mi-

* This was not correct as related to Morgan's corps.

Gates.

GENERAL WILKINSON. S5n

litia to join General Poor's brigade, and the Connecticut chap.
General Lcarned's. The next day I was surprised to ^'*
observe in general orders, the New York militia annex-
ed to General Glover's brigade, which placed me in the
ridiculous light of presuming to give orders I had no
right to do, and having them publicly contradicted, which
I mentioned to you as I thought it a mistake of the depu-
ty adjutant-general, you then observed that the mistake
was your own, and tbat it should be mentioned as such
in the ensuing orders, which has never been done.

« On the 19th inst. when advice was received that the
enemy were approaching, I took the liberty to give it as
my opinion that we ought to march out and attack them.
You desired me to send Colonel Morgan and the light in-
fantry, and support* them ; I obeyed your orders ; and
before the action was over, I found it necessary to send
out the whole of my division to support the attack;
no other troops were engaged that day except Colonel
Marshal's regiment of General Patterson's brigade. I
have been informed that in the returns transmitted to
Congress of the killed and wounded in the action, the
troops were mentioned as a detachment from the army,
and in the orders of this day I observe it is mentioned
that Colonel Morgan's corps, not being in any brigade or
division of this army, are to make returns and reports
only to head-quarters from wlience they are alone to re-
ceive orders; although it is notorious to the whole army,
they have been in and done duty with my division for
some time past.

« When I mentioned these matters to you this day, you
were pleased to say in contradiction to your repeated or-
ders, you did not know I was a Major-general or had
any command in the army. I have ever supposed a Ma-
jor-general's command of four thousand men, a proper
division, and no detachment when composed of whole bri-

* This is incorrect in fact, as the orders went in detail from head
quarters, tliough it is not known what conversation passed betweer.
the Generals.

S56 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, gades, forming one wing of the army, and that the gene-
ral and troops, if guilty of misconduct or cowardly beha-
viour in time of action were justly chargeable as a divi-
sion. And that if on the other hand they behaved witli
spirit and firmness in action, they were justly entitled to
the applause due to a proper division, not a detachment of
tfje army. Had my division behaved ill, the other divi-
sion of the army would have thought it extremely hard
to have been amenable for their conduct. I mentioned
these matters as I wisli justice done to the division as
well as particular regiments or persons.

« From what reason I know not (as I am conscious of
no offence or neglect of duty,) I have lately observed
little or no attention paid to any proposals I have thought
it my duty to make for the public service, and when a
measure I have proposed has been agreed to, it has been
immediately contradicted. I have been received with the
greatest coolness at head quarters, and often huffed in
such a manner as must mortify a person with less pride
than I have and in my station in the army. You observ-
ed you expected General Lincoln in a day or two, when I
should have no command of a division, that you thought
nie of little consequence to the army, and that you would
with all your heart give me a pass to leave it, whenever
I thought proper. As I find your observation very just,
that I am not or that you wish me of little consequence
in the army, and as I have the interest and safety of my
country at heart I wish to be where I can be of the most
service to her. I therefore, as General Lincoln is arriv-
ed, have to request your pass to Philadelphia with my
two aid-de-camps and their servants, where 1 propose to
join General Washington, and may possibly have it in
my power to serve my country, although I am thought
of no consequence in this department.

" I am, with due respect. Sir,
. « Your obedient servant,
« B. ARNOLD.
«« Hoiu Major-general Gaies.'"'

CHAP.
VI.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 257

<( 23d Sept. 1777.
<* Sir,

" Major-general Arnold having (lesi"ed permission for
himself and aids-dc-camp to go to Philadelpliia, I have
granted his request. His reasons for asking to leave
the army at this time, sliall with my answers he trans-
mitted to your excellency.

"I am, Sir, &c.

«<H. GATES.
« The Hon. John Hancock,

President of Congress."

*< Head ({narterSf 23d Sept. 1777.
« Sir,

« I did not receive your letter until I was going into
hod last night. The permission you request for yourself
and aids-de-camp to go to Philadelphia is inclosed.
«< I am. Sir,

« Your obedient and humble servant^
"HORATIO GATES.
« Hon. Major-general Arnold."

« Camp Stillwater, Sept. 23d, 1777.
« Sir,

« When I wrote you yesterday I thought myself enti-
tled to an answer, and that you would at least have con-
descended to acquaint me with the reasons which liave
induced you to treat me with affront and indignity, in a
public manner which I mentioned and which has been
observed by many gentlemen of the army; I am conscious
of none, but if I have been guilty of any crimes deserv-
ing such treatment, I wish to have them pointed out, that
I may have an opportunity of vindicating my conduct. I
know no reason for your conduct unless I have been tra-
duced by some designing villain,
VOI-. I. K k

g58 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. " I requested permission for myself and aids to go to
^'' Philadelphia, instead of which you have sent me a letter
"'"''''^^^'*^ to the honourable John Hancock, esq. which I have re-
turned. If you have any letters for that gentleman
which you tfiink proper to send sealed, I will take charge
of them. I once more request your permission for my-
self and aids to pass to Philadelphia.
« I am, Sir,

if Your obedient servant,
** B. ARNOLD.
*< Hon. Major-general GatesJ"

^ - <t Head Quarters, Qod Sept. 1777.

" Sir,

« You wrote me nothing last night but what had been
sulHciently altercated between us in the evening. I then
gave you such answers to all your objections as I think
were satisfactory. I know not what you mean by insult
or indignity. I made you such replies only as I conceiv-
ed proper. As to the open letter I sent you to Mr.
Hancock, it was the civilest method I could devise of ac-
quainting Congress with your leaving the army. And is
to all intents and purposes as full a pass as can be desir-
ed. I sent it unsealed, as being the more complaisant to
^ you, and is what is commonly done upon such occasions.
That not being so agreeable to you as a common pass, I
send you one inclosed.

« 1 am, Sir, &c.

«H. GATES.
<( Hon. General Arnold."

<« Camp, Sept. 27th, 1777.
" General Arnold presents his compliments to General
Gates and needs not to be told that the commander in
chief only, of the northern department, has a right to or-
der payments. He conceives however, he had a right to
offer a reward as it was done in the absence of General
Schuyler, when General Arnold had the command of the
army. He is surprised to find the justice of his certifi-

GENERAL WILKINSON. S59

catc for the pitiful sum of fifty dollars disputed. He be- chap.
lieves no other person could have suspected him guilty of ^^^,^*^^
a deceit sooner than they would have done General
Gates.
« To the Hon. Major-general Gates."

<t Camp, 2Sth Sept. 1777.

« Sir,

«< I am surprised you should be offended at my answer
to your certificate in favour of the continental soldier, who
killed the Indian upon the retreat of the army from Fort
Edward, since you know I was blamed last year for
granting my warrants upon such certificates. As to the
smallness of the sum, that is no reason for my breaking
my instructions. The justice of your certificate, I have
never called in question, nor suspected you of deceit iu
tliat particular ; so cannot see the shadow of a reason for
the last part of your note.

« I am, Sir,

« Your humble servant,
«H. GATES."

« Camp Stillwater, October 1, 1777.

« Sir,

f< Notwithstanding the repeated ill treatment I have
met with, and continued daily to receive, treated only as
a cypher in the army, never consulted or acquainted with
one occurrence in the army, which I know only by acci-
dent, while I have every reason to think your treatment
proceeds from a spirit of jealousy, and that I have every
thing to fear from the malice of my enemies, conscious of
my own innocency and integrity, I am determined to sa-
crifice my feelings, present peace and quiet, to the public
good, and continue in the army at tliis critical juncture,
when my country needs every support.

*<I beg leave to say, that when Congress sent me into
this department at the request of his excellency General
Washington, they thought me of some consequence, and I
believe expected the commander in chief, would consult

260 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, witli me, or at least would have taken my opinion on pub-
^^_^^ lie matters. I tiiink it my duty (which nothing sliall de-
ter me from doing) to acquaint you the army are clamor-
ous for action. The militia who compose a great part
of the army are already threatening to go home. One
fortnight's inaction will, I make no doubt, lessen your
army by sickness and defection at least four thousand
men, in whi(h time the enemy may be reinforced or
make good their retreat.

<« I have reason to think, from intelligence since receiv-
ed, that had we improved the 20th of September it might
have ruined the enemy, that is past, let me intreat you to
improve the present time.

<« I hope you will not impute this hint to a wish to com-
mand the army, or to outshine you, when I assure you it
proceeds from my zeal for the cause of my country in
which I expect to rise or fall.

" I am, Sir,

« Your humble servant,
« B. ARNOLD.

*< Hon. Major-general Gates.'*

Removed from command and excluded from liead quar-
ters. General Arnold experienced the keenest mortifica-
tion, and too late discovered that he would hazard dis-
grace, by voluntarily leaving the army at so eventful a
period of the campaign ', yet he was too high spirited and
presuming to make a concession or seek an explanation :
his sense of subordination, and knowledge of service are
explained by his letters, which require no comment. In
this awkward situation, he hung about the camp, pro-
fessing his intention to depart from day to day, murmur-
ing discontent and scattering sedition, which nought but
General Gates's plenary powers and good fortune could
have kept in check. On the suspension of Arnold's au-
thority. General Gates took the division which had be-
longed to him under iiis immediate command, as he lack-
ed decision to confer it on another, although he continued

GENERAL WILKINSON. ;g6l

to deny it to Arnold^ whom he suffered to retain his quar- cfi ap.
ters in camp. Major-general Lincoln arrived on the 22d, ^ '
and the command of the right wing was assigned to him *"^"'''"^'
on the 25th.

g6g MEMOIRS BY

CHAPTER VII.

CHAP General Biirgoyne and General Gatesfortify their respective
^"' camps. — St. Leger-s intercepted letter.— Colonel Wilkin-

son recomwitres the left of the enemy, and makes forty-
Jive prisoners. — Sickness of the army. — Correspondence
between General Washington and General Gates. — Wil-
kinson repoi'ts to General Gates, and gives an opinion as
to the enemy^s intentions on the 7th of October. — General
Gates orders Colonel Morgan to attack the enemy. — Posi-
tion of the enemy. — Morgaiv's plan of attack. — The ene-
my attacked. — Gives way, and retreats in disorder. — De-
scription of that part of the ground lately occupied by the
British grenadiers.^— Wilkinson falls in with Major Jlck-
' land, wounded through both legs. — Saves his life, and

sends him into camp. — Farther description of the action.
— Statement respecting General Arnold's conduct.' — He is
7vounded in the latter end of the action.-— Wilkinson's opi-
nions of the enemy's intentions borne out by General Bur-
goyne's testimony. — Colonel Wilkinson's letter to Gover-
nor Clinton of 9th October. — Governor Clinton's conduct
contrasted with President Madison's. — Success of Sir
Henry Clinton counteracted by Burgoyne's defeat, — Go-
vernor Clinton's letter of 7th Oct. — General Gates's letter
of the 12th Oct.—Jlrmy takes possession of the enemy's
abandoned camp.< — Description of the ground on which
General Burgoyne condensed his force. — General Lincoln
7vounded by the enemy's sharp-shooters. — Effect of the
victory on the American arms.'— General Fellows's letter
to General Lincoln. — Colonel Wilkinson's answer to Ge-
neral Fellows. — Burgoyne breaks up his camp, abandons
his hospital, and retreats. — Critical situation of General
Fellows. — American army prepare for the pursuit. — Ar-
rival of Mr. J. M. Hayes, a British surgeon, with a flag
of truce. — Fac simile of General Burgoyne's letter brought

GENERAL WILKINSON. ^3

by him. — ^ batteau arrives, under a Jlag of iriicef ivifh
Lady Harriet Jickland on board, beating a letter from
General Burgoyne. — Fac simile of that ktter. — Reflections
on the deportment of the fair sex in moments of severe
trial. — Lady H. Jickland^ s reception by Major Dearborn,'-^
Her arrival at the camp, where she is kindly and re-
spectfully received by General Gates. — ^ description of
her,'— American army advances. — British army discover-
ed on the heights above the Fish-kill.'— Position taken np
by the troops. — General order for the advance of the army,
—Wilkinson submits his objection to the General's jilan,
— Conversation between Genci'al Gates and himself on tlic
subject.— 'Wilkinson falls in with Colonel Morgan's corps,
which was retreating after a skirmish with the enemy's
picket. — Mvises that (^cer to change his position and
promises him support. — Patterson's and Learned's bri-
gades ordered to support him. — Troops ordered to cross
the Fish-kill or return to camp. — Wilkinson sends a mes-
sage to Gen. Gates, urging his presence. — Discovers a re-
connoitring party of the enemy. — Orders Capt. Goodale to
charge, which he does, and makes an officer and 35 men
prisoners. — Fog clears away, and British army is disco-
vered under arms, — JYixon's and Glover's brigade,
which had in part crossed the creek, attacked, and give
way. — Wilkinson, on his own responsibility, halts two
brigades under Colonel Learned, and prevents their being
cut to pieces. — The enemy opens a fire upon the two bri'
gades while changing position — JVixon's and Glover's
brigade resttme their former positions. — .affairs of pick-
ets, and cannonade on the I2th and ±5th. — Letter of Gen,
Gates to Gen. Burgoyne. — JVarrative of the Baroness of
Reidesel, — .Appeal to the fair sex of the United States,

General Burgoyne having taken the determination chap.
to wait the movenaent of Sir Henry Clinton against Fort ^J^jL^
Montgomery, turned his attention to the fortification Employ-
of his camp. The army of General Gates was actively ment o*'
employed in similar labours, and the forest resounded aJmS ' *"
under the strokes of the axe. Nevertheless the inaction

S64j

MEMOIRS BY

CHAP.
VII.

of General Burgoyne was so opposite to his general cha-
racter and apparent interests, that although the most de=
sirable circumstance to General Gates, it caused him
some perplexity. It was believed he expected succour*
from Canada, which was true; and such dispositions
mere made of our irregulars, as to render their arrival
difficult if not impracticable ; or he might, as was the
fact, be waiting for co-operation from New York ; and
there was some apprehension, that he intended to trans-
fer his army to the east side of the river, and by forcing
a passage with his batteaux, to turn our right flank,
though he had made no indication of such a movement.
To penetrate any design he might have in that direc-
tion, I crossed the river with a detachment, and re-
connoitred his left flank closely, but could make no
other discovery than that he had thrown up a « tete de
pont*\ On my return to camp, I fell in with and cap-
pnsoners. ^ypg^ forty -five armed seamen, who were on a maraud-

Colonel
AViikinson
reconnoi-
tres 'he
enemv's •
left, and
mtkes 45

* Lieutenant Hardin on a scout intercepted Lieutenant Lundie and
Ensign M'Martin with a party on their route from Ticonderoga to Gen.
Burgoyne's camp, on one of whom the following letter was found.

« TiconderogUy Sept. 29th, 1777.
*' Dear Sir,

" I am arrived here : every expedition has been made in my power
for the purpose. I felt myself unhappy, and ill used, in my way
through Canada ; but I shut my chapter of grievances till I see you,
which I pray of Heaven may be soon. Brigadier general Powel will
tell you of the dismemberment of my detachment. The taking the
100 of the 8th for the upper posts I suffered with patience, on the
supposition that a like number would be substituted in their place
below; not conceiving that 4000 troops could be necessary m Canada:
but that has not been done. You know my present strength. I wait
orders. The chief business of this letter is to suffer the bearer of this
to return without delay to procure a number of guides, not only to
lead us in the direct military road, but in case of accidents, by any
devious path that may bring us to you.

" I have the honour to be, &c.

'« BARRY ST. LEGER.

" p. S.—\ have procured Lieutenant Lundie to be sent with this,
as Phillips is too lame to return."

Addressed " On His Majesty^ service-^General BurgoyneP

GENERAL WILKINSON. §65

in^ party, among tlic deserted plantations, but could draw chap.
no other information from them except tliat they were ^ |^
attached to the hatteaux. Our numbers increased daily,
and for want of suitable aliment our sick multiplied pro-
portionably. IMie accompanying general return [E] wiU
exhibit our strength and condition on the 4th of October.
Pending these scenes in the north, the grand army
under General Washington in the south had been obliged
after the battle of Brandywine, to retire before the supe-
rior force of General Sir William Howe, and the com-
mander in chief feeling sensibly the loss of Morgan's
corps, which he had generously detached to aid the north-
ern army, made a provisional request for its return. The
letters which passed on that subject, will throw some
light on the situation of the respective commanders at
that interesting epoch. The letter of General Washing-
ton beai's date the day after Sir William llowe crossed
the Schuylkill.

« Camp near Pottsgrove, Sept. 24th, 1777.
« Sir,

" This army has not been able to oppose General Howe
with the success that was wished, and needs a reinforce-
ment. I therefore request, if you have been so fortunate
as to oblige General Burgoyne to retreat to Ticondero-
ga, or if you have not, and circumstances will admit, that
you will order Golonel Morgan to join me again with his
corps. I sent him up when I thought you materially
wanted him, and if his services can be dispensed with
now, you will direct him to return immediately. You
will perceive I do not mention this by way of command*
but leave you to determine upon it according to your si-
tuation; if they come, they should proceed by water from
Albany as low down as Peeks-kill : in such case you will
give Colonel Morgan the necessary orders to join me
with despatch.

" I am. Sir, your most obedient servant,

«' GO. WASHINGTON.
« Mojor-general Gates.^*

VOL. I. L 1

CHAP.
VII.

266 MEMOIRS BY

<•' Camp, Bchmus's Heights, Oct. bth, 1777.
« Sir,

** Since the action of the 19th ultimo, the enemy have
kept the ground they occupied the morning of that day,
and fortified their camp; the advanced sentries* of my
pickets are posted within shot of and opposite to the ene-
my's; neither side have given ground an inch. In this
situation, your excellency would not wish me to part with
the corps, the army of General Burgoyne arc most afraid
of. From the best intelligence he has not more than
three week's provisions in store; it will take him at least
eight days to get back to Ticonderoga; so that in a fort-
night at furthest, he must decide, whether he will really
risk at infinite disadvantage to force tny camp or retreat
to his den: in either case, I must have the fairest pros-
pect to be able to reinforce your excellency in a more
considerable manner than by a single regiment. I am
sorry to repeat to your excellency the distress I have suf-
ered for want of a proper supply of musket cartridges from
Springfield, or the materials to make them. The inclosed
from the commissary of ordnance stores at Albany, will
convince your excellency of the truth of this assertion.
My anxiety also on account of provisions, has been in-
expressible; a greater error has not been committed this
war, than the changing the commissariat in the middle
of the campaign. You, Sir, must have your grievances ;
I therefore will not awaken them by enlarging upon
mine.

" I have the honour to be, &c.

*' HORATIO GATES."

<i His Excellency Gen. Washington."

* This was an unnecessary embellishment, because General Gates
had good reason for not parting with Morgan's corps. The pickets
of the two armies were more than a mile apart on our left, and three
<j[uarters of a mile on our right; of which General Gates might be
ignorant, because he never visited them.

GENERAL WILKINSON. £67

The change in the commissariat to which General chap.
Gates alludes, was produced hy the act of Congress which ^ "'
determined Colonel Joseph Trumbull to quit the depart-
ment j a measure of which General Washington foresaw
the cvilconscfiuences, and which he opposed as far as he
consistently could.

The weather in the autumn of 1777, on the Hudson's
river, was charming, and the time glided away without
any notable occurrence. As early as the blockade of
Boston, I had observed that beating to arms frequently
produced false alarms, and always hurry; I had there-
fore prevailed on the General to forbid tlje practice. Yet
on the afternoon of the 7th October, the advanced guard
of the centre beat to arras ; tlus alarm was repeated
throughout tlie line, and tlie troops repaired to their
alarm posts. I was at head quarters when this happen-
ed, and with the approbation of the General, mounted my
horse to inquire the cause; but on reaching the guaiuT
where the beat commenced, I could obtain no other satis-
faction, but that some person had reported the enemy to
h.e advancing against our left. I proceeded over opcR
ground, and ascending a gentle acclivity in front of the
guard, I perceived about half a mile from the line of our
encampment, several columns of the enemy, 60 or 70
rods from me, entering a wheat field which Iwid not been
cut, and was separated from me by a small rivulet; and
without my glass I could distinctly mark their every
movement. After entering the field, they displayed,
formed the line, and Sat down in double ranks with their
arms between their legs. Foragers then proceeded to cut
the vi'heat or standing straw, and 1 soon after observed
several oflicers, mounted on the top of a cabin, from
whence with their glasses they were endeavouring to v^
connoitre our left, which was concealed from tlreir view
by intervening woods.

Having satisfied myself, after fifteen minutes attentive
observation, that no attack was meditated, I returned and
reported to the general, who asked me what appeared to
be the intentj^oiis of the <»nemy. « Tlfey are foraging.

2QS MEMOIRS BY

criAi*. and endeavouring to reconnoitre your left: and I think

VII

^^^^^^_^ Sir, they offer you batfle." « What is the nature of the
ground, and what your opinion ?" « Their front is open,
and ther flanks rest on woods, under cover of which they
may be attacked ; their right is skirted by a lofty height.
I would indulge them." *» Well, then, order on Morgan

Colonel tQ becin the game." I waited on the Colonel, whose

Morgan -jo r j i- i

ordered to corps was formed in front of our centre, and delivered
attack the ^|,g order; he knew the ground, and inquired the posi-
tion of the enemy : tlrey were formed across a newly cul-
tivated field, their grenadiers with several field pieces on
the left, bordering on a wcjod and a small ravine formed
by the rivulet before alluded to; their light infantry on
the right, covered by a worm fence at the foot of the hill
before mentioned, thickly covered with wood; their centre
composed of British and German battalions. Colonel
Morgan, with his usual sagacity, proposed to make a cir-
cuit with his corps by our left, and under cover of the
wood to gain the height on tlie right of the enemy, and
from thence commence his attack, so soon as our fire
should be opened against their left; the plan was the best
which could be devised, and no doubt contributed essen-
tially to the prompt and decisive victory we gained.

This proposition was approved by the General, and it
was concerted that time should be allowed the Colonel to
make the proposed circuit, and gain his station on the
the enemy's right before the attack should be made on
their left ; Poor's brigade was ordered for this ser-
Attack vice, and tlie attack was commenced in due season on
mences *''® flank and front of the British grenadiers, by the New
Hampslure and New York troops. True to his purpose^
Morgan at this critical moment poured down like a tor-
rent from the hill, and attacked the right of the enemy in
front and flank. Dearborn at the moment, when the
enemy's light infantry were attempting to change front,
pressed forward with ardour and delivered a close fire;
then leapt the fence, shouted, charged and gajlantly forc-
ed them to retire in disorder; yet headed by that intre-
pid soldier the Earl of Balcarras, they were immediately

GENERAL WILKINSON. S69

tallied and re-formed bciiind a fence in rear of their chai*.
first position ; but being now attacked with great audacity ^"'
in front and flanks by superior numbers, resistance be-
came vain, and the whole line, commanded by Burgoyne
in person, gave way and made a precipitate and disorder-
ly retreat to his camp, leaving two twelve and six six-
pounders on the field with the loss of more than 400 otli-
cers and men killed, wounded and captured, and among
them the flower of bis oilicers, viz. Brigadier-general
Frazer, Major Ackland commanding tiie grenadiei-s. Sir
Francis Clarke* his first aid-de-cam]), Major Williams

• When I returned to head-quarters from the field of bafctle, 1 found
Sir Francis Clark reposing on General Gates's bed, and those genlle-
men engaged in a warm dispute, on the merits of the revolution. Sir
Francis admitting that every procedure on our part, short of the de-
claration of independence, was warranted by the conduct of the Bri-
tish administration; that he had on this ground vindicated us ia
public and private, but that the sudden act of severance, convinced
him the contest had originated in a pi-emeditated view to independ-
ence, into which the colonies had been cheated by the puritans of Xew^
England; and that he, of consequence, had changed his opinion, and
taken part against us. On the other hand, Gates contended, that the
idea of disunion had never entered into the head of any American,
until the menaces of the parliament, the repeated oppressive acts of
the British government, and the manifest vindictive resentment of the
sovereign, left the colonists no alternative between abject vassalage
and self-government.

The old General became quite incensed, and calling me out of the

TooiB, asked me if I had ever heard so impudent a son of a b h.

Sir Francis, who was I think a member of parliament, appeared to be
an impetuous, high-minded, frank, fearless fellow, for suddenly chang-
ing the conversation he inquired of nae, "whether our surgeons were
good for any thing, as he did not like the direction of his wound, and
was desirous to know whether it was mortal or not ?" The following
ext»ao<^ of a letter from Dr. Hayes to General Burgoyne, dated the 9lh
October, describes Sir Francis's particular case. " I have seen Si\*
Francis Clark, and am sorry to inform you that 1 form some unfavourable
opinion of his case. The ball entered Iws right flank, struck the twi»
last o( ihe false ribs, penetrated the cavity of the abdoinen, and seems
to run towards tlie spine; a tension of his belly, and involuntary dis-
charges of urine are bad symptonjs. He has been attended wiih gicat
care and tenderness ; I stay by iiim this night and shall not omit an/
attention for his recovery. Major Ackland is w-ouiirled txi»|)ie thick

\

270 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, commanding officer of the artillery, Captain Money depu«
^"' ty quarter-master general, and many others. After deli-
vering the order to General Poor and directing him to
the point of attack, I was peremptorily commanded to re-
pair to the rear and order up Ten Broeck's brigade of
York militia 3000 strong ; I performed this service, and
regained the field of battle at the moment the enemy had
turned their backs, fifty-two minutes after the first shot
Descrip- was fired. The ground which had been occupied by the

tionotthat „.., , . _ i-.ji

part of the British grenadiers presented a scene of complicated hor-

fieldof roj. jjuj exultation. In the square space of twelve or
cupied by fifteen yards lay eighteen grenadiers in the agonies of
the British jpath, and three officers propped up against stumps of
diers. trees, two of them mortally wounded, bleeding, and al-
most speechless ; what a spectacle for one whose bosom
glowed with philanthropy, and how vehement the impulse,
which can excite men of sensibility to seek such scenes
of barbarism ! I found the courageous Colonel Cilley a
straddle on a brass twelve-pounder and exulting in the
capture-^whilst a surgeon, a man of great worth, who

part of J0//2 legs. The left seemsto havethebone touched, but of no con«
sequence." Sir Francis died I think the 13th, and the day before, ques-
tioned Doctor Townsend who attended him, as to the probable issue
of the wound, the Doctor felt a I'eluctance in announcing his doom,
he observed it, and remarked " Doctor why do you pause ? do you
think I am afraid to die ?" The Doctor then advised him as an act
of prudence, to arrange his private affairs, " thank you Doctor," re-
plied he, " I understand you, as to my private affairs, my father set-
tled them for me, and I have only a few legacies to bequeath," among
them he gave twenty guineas to the matron of our hospital, who had
paid particular attention to him. Some time after the convention, the
mati-on presented her claim to Capt.Money, the British deputy quarter-
master general, who discharged it in continental bills then at a conside-
rable depreciation. The woman complained of the circumstance, and
was recommended to apply to General Burgoyne, who expressed his
abhorrence of the act, directed the woman to hold the continental bills
and obliged Money to atone for the imposition, by paying the legacy
m hard guineas of British coinage, without reference to the sum he had
already paid her, which a due regard to justice and the memory of his
much lamented friend would not permit him to consider as the ac-
oompli'shmeiit of Sir Franpis's intention.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 27I

x^as dfC^sing one of the oflBcers, raisinj^ his blood-he- chap.
smeared hands in a frenzy of patriotism, exclaimed, ^"•
Wilkinson I have dipt my hands in British hlood. He re- '"^"'^'^^^
ceived a sharp rebuke for his brutality, and witli the
troops I pursued the hard pressed flying enemy, passing
over killed and wounded until I heard one exclaim, " pro-
tect me Sir, against this boy.*' Turning my eyes, it was
my fortune to arrest the purpose of a lad, thirteen or
fourteen years old, in the act of taking aim at a wound-
ed officer who lay in the angle of a worm fence. Inqiiir- Wilkinson
ing his rank, he answered, "I had the honour to com- [yUj^Ma.
mand the grenadiers;" of course, I knew him to be Major jor Ack-
Ackland, who had been brought from the field to this '^^nded
place, on the back of a Captain Shrimpton of his own corps, through
under a heavy fire, and was here deposited, to save the ^ ^ ^^**
lives of both. I dismounted, took him by the hand and
expressed hopes that he was not badly w^ounded, « not
badly," replied this gallant officer and accomplished gen-
tleman, " but very inconveniently, I am shot through
Loth legs; will you Sir have the goodness to have me
conveyed to your camp?" I directed my servant to
alight, and we lifted Ackland into his scat, and ordered
him to be conducted to head-quarters. I then proceeded
to the scene of renewed action, which embraced Bur-
goyne's right flank defence, and extending to his left,
crossed a hollow covered with wood, about *0 rods to the
entrenchment of the light infantry ; the roar of cannon Farther
and small arms at this juncture was sublime, between tlie ^.^^^^'''P"

** ' tion ot ine

enemy, behind their works, and our troops entirely ex- action
posed, or partially sheltered by trees, stumps, or hollows,
at various distances not exceeding 120 yards. This
right flank defence of the enemy, occupied by the German
corps of Brey man, consisted of a breast-work of rails piled
horizontally between perpendicular pickets, driven into
the earth, formed en potence to the rest of his line, and
extended about 250 yards across an open field, and was
covered on the right by a battery of two guns. The in-
terval from the left to the British light infantry was
committed to the defence of the provincialists, who oc-

272 aiEMOlKS BY

CHAP, cupied a coriple of log cabins. The Germans were en-
"• camped immediately behind the rail breast-work, and the
ground in front of it declined in a very gentle slope for
about l!20 yards, when it sunk abruptly; our troops had
formed a line under this declivity, and covered breast
high were warmly engaged with the Germans. From
this position, about sunset, I perceived Brigadier-general
Learned advancing towards the enemy with his brigade,
in open column, I think with Colonel M. Jackson's regi-
ment in front, as I saw Lieutenant-colonel Brooks, who
commanded it, near tlie General when 1 rode up to him;
on saluting this brav« old soldier, he inquired, «< where
can I put in with most advantage." I had particularly
examined the ground between the left of the Germans and
the light infantry, occupied by the provincialists, from
whence I had observed a slack fire ; I therefore recom-
mended to General Learned to incline to Uis right, and
attack at that point: he did so with great gallantry; the
provincialists abandoned their position and fled ; the Ger-
man flank was by this means uncovered ; they were as-
saulted vigorously, overturned in five minutes, and re-
treated in disorder, leaving their gallant commander,
Lieutenant-colonel Breyman, dead on the field. By dis-
lodging this corps, the whole British encampment was
laid open to us ; but the extreme darkness of the night,
the fatigue of the men, and the disorder incident to un-
disciplined troops after so desultory an action, put it out
of our power to improve the advantage; and in the course
of the night General Burgoyne broke up his camp, and
retired to his original position, which he had fortified,
behind the great ravine.
statement I would not offer injustice even to a traitor, and there-
jcspeciin^- fore it is not to deroerate from the military merits of Ge-

Generyl '-'

Aniokl's neral Arnold, that I make the following statement of
conduct, fjjp^^ . ^,^,|. j^ j^ j^ rescue from oblivion transactions
whirli have found place in histf)ry, under misrepresenta-
tions as gross as those which have been imposed on the
country, in so many instances during the late war. It
must be understood that General Gates had received no

''^■■■■1

GENERAL WILKINSON. S?3

amicable explanation from General Arnold, subsequent CF^AI^
to his Jettcr of the Ist of October, of consequence Arnold ^ "'
found liinisolf without connnand on tlic 7th, and it was
very natural that an officer of his ambition should, on the
commencement of the action, feel iriitated by the humi-
liating situation in which he found iiimself.

It was remarked, that in the progress of the cnj^agc-
ment he rode about the camp betrayinij great agitatif)n
and wrath, and it was said tiiat he was observed to drink
freely; at length he was found on the field of battle exer-
cising command, but not by the order or pcrnjissio!i of
General Gates. His conduct was exceedingly rash and
intemperate; and he exposed himself w ith great folly and
temerity, at the time we were engaged front to front with
the Germans, and whilst he was flourishing his sword
and encouraging the troops, be in a stale of furiotjs dis-
traction struck an ofiicer* on the head and w ounded him,
the first impulse of the officer was»to shoot him, for which
purpose he raised his fusee, but recollecting himself, he
was about to remonstrate, when the General darted off to
another part of the field ; soon after this incident finding
himself on our rigiit, he dashed to the left through the
firef of the two lines and escaped unhurt ; he then turned
the right of the enemy, as I was informed by that most
excellent officer. Colonel Butler,:j: and collecting 15 or 20
riflemen threw himself with this party into the rear of the
enemy, just as they gave way, where his leg was broke,
and his horse killed under him; but whether by our fire
or that of the enemy, as they fled from us, has never been
ascertained. It is certain, that he neither rendered ser-
vice, nor deserved credit on that day, and the wound he
received alone saved him from being overwhelmed, by the
torrent of General Gatcs^s good fortune and popularity.
On such caprices of fortune docs the bubble of military

* Belief ed to be Captain Ball of Major Dearborn's infantry,
■j- It would be deemed incredible, if General Scott had not perform^
ed the same mad prank at Lund) 's Lane.

4^ Afterwards General Butler, and killed on the 4th Nov. 1791

vol;. T. M m

374! MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, fame depend ! It may be remembered by several who now
^^'' live, that Arnold rode on that day a black or dark brown
horse, the property of Mr. Leonard Chester of Wea-
thersfield, Connecticut, and I recollect observing the
body of the horse the morning after, in the rear of the
German encampment.

Wilkin- It appears from Burgoyne*s despatch to Lord George

son's rc-

port and Germaine, of the 20th Oct. 1777,* that in my report to

opinion of General Gates on the 7th, I had penetrated the motives

llic cnc-

my'sinten- of hls movement; and I afterwards understood from him-

tions sup- ggic ^\^.^^^ j„ j^^lf an hour lie should have foraged, finish-
ported by 1
General cd his observations, and returned to his camp; our attack

liurgoyne. therefore was most critical, and I trust my enemies may
admit, that my agency on the occasion was not prejudi-
cial to the public cause. The following extract from a
letter written in haste to the patriot, Governor George
Clinton, by order of General Gates, the second day after
the action, exhibits a detail of facts too faithful to admit
correction, and too explicit to require illustration.

Extract of a letter from an officer of distinction in the army
; under the command of his excellency General Gates, to
the Governor of J\'ew York state, dated Camp, Behmus*s
Heights, Oct. Qth, 1777, — published in HoWs paper,

« Dear Sir,

« General Gates has this moment received a copy of
your letter of the 7th instant to the council of safety, and
being much engaged, has desired me to tell you, that he
condoles with you on the loss of the important post of
Fort Montgomery, &c., but congratulates you on the
bravery and address of your little garrison. To com-
pensate for this disaster, I have the pleasure to inform
you, that we had on the 7th instant an action with Gene-
lal Burgoyne, which reflects the highest honour on our
arms, as we carried his encampment and advanced works,
took 2 twelve, and 6 six-pounders (Ijrass), with a num-

* See his State of Canada, Appendix, pag^e 83.-

GENERAL WILKINSON. Sr.'J

bep of carts and tents, and a considerable quantity of bag- chap.
gage, made prisoners the commanding officers of the ar- vn.
tillcry and of the British grenadiers, with the Generars ^'^'^^'^'^
aid-de-camp, Sir Francis Clark, a quarter-master gene-
ral, and a number of inferior rank, with about two hun-
dred and fifty non-commissioned officers and privates ;
the number of the slain, both officers and men, is consi-
derable; among the former is General Fraser. The con-
sequent hurry has prevented a return of our killed and
wounded, which I am sensible do not exceed eighty j of
the former, we have only one subaltern, and of the latter
a few gallant officers. General Burgoync last night eva-
cuated his camp, leaving beiiind him upwards of three
hundred sick and wounded, among whom are six cap-
tains, together with a quantity of flour, &c. and has re-
treated towards Fort Edward ; but as General Gates has
taken the precaution to throw about two thousand men
in his rear, on the east side of the river, it is probable
they will obstruct his retreat, and give us time to come
up with him.

« I have the honour to be, &c."

The letter from Governor Clinton to the council of Governor
safety, referred to in the preceding extract, is worthy a conduct
place in these memoirs ; it furnishes an admirable con- contrasted

111 with I're-

trast to the scenes of Bladensburgh, and may enable the sidentMa-
citizens of these states, when the prejudices of faction '^'*°" ^*
shall slumber, to compare the merits of George Clinton
the sage, the patriot and soldier, with James Madison,
whose public and private virtues remain to be discovered,
whilst his incompetency and duplicity will be conspi-
cuous, so long as the dishonour attendant upon a confla-
grated capital, and the pernicious effects of a national
bank shall be filt and remembered ; and combined with
other testimonials to be found in these sheets, this letter
\\\\\ shew, that whilst the zealous, inflexible, gallant Clin-
ton was supporting the defenders of the state over which
he presided in the north, by the exertion of his utmost
influence and authority, he was combating the public

S76 MEMOIRS BY

CH\p. cnciiij in the south sword in hand; the same documeTits
^11 will prove also, tliafc by the auspicious circumstance of
^"^"'''^^^ Burgoync's defeat on the 7th, the object of Sir Henry
Clinton's co-operation was baffled, and his enterprize
on the 6th was productive of no other public effect,
but to incense, excite and unite the inhabitants in de-
ficnce of their fire-sides and household goods.

« Miv TFindsor, 7th Oct. ±777,
« Gentlemen,

« The extreme fatigue I have undergone for three days
past, and the want of rest for an equal number of nights,
renders me unfit to write you on matters of such serious
consequence to this state, as those I have to communicate.
I am only able briefly to inform you, that yesterday about
ten o'clock A. M. our advanced party was attacked by
the enemy at Doodle town, about 2| miles from Fort
Montgomery ; our party consisted of about 30 men, the
enemy by appearance and subsequent accounts of 5000,
nevertheless our men received the enemy's fire, returned
it and retieated to Fort Clinton; soon after I received
intelligence tliat the enemy were advancing to the west
side of the mountain, with design to attack us in rear.— ,
Upon this I ordered out Lieutenant-colonels Bonyn and
M'Cloghray with upwards of 100 men towards Doodle-
town, and a brass field piece with a detachment of 60
men, to a very advantageous post on the road to the fur-
nace. They were not long out, before they were both
attacked by the enemy with their wliole force. Our peo-
ple belsaved with spirit and must have made great slaugh-
ter of the enemy. I strengthened the party on the fur-
nace road, to upwards of 100, but they were obliged to
give way to so superior a force as the enemy brought
against them ; yet they kept their field piece in full play
at them, till the men who worked it were driven off with
fixed bayonets, they however spiked it before they quit
it, and retreated with great good order to a 12 pounder,
which I had ordered to cover thcni* and from thence into

GENERAL WILKINSON. i*77

the Fort. I immediiitcly posted my men in the most ad- C!IAF».
vantageous manner for the defence of the post, and it was ^"
not many minutes before we as well as Fort Clinton were
attacked on all sides, and a most incessant fire was kept
up till night and even after dusk, when the enemy forced
our lines and redoubts at both posts, and the garrison's
were obliged to fight their way out, as they were deter-
mined not to surrender, and many have escaped. I was
summoned, when the sun was an hour high, to surrender
in five minutes, and thereby prevent the effusion of blood.
I sent Lieutenant-colonel Livingston to receive the flag,
and the officer who bore it informed him, he had no orders
to treat witli him unless the garrison meant to surrender
tliemselves prisoners of war, in which case he was em-
powered to assure them of good usage. This proposition
being rejected with scorn, about 10 minutes after, they
made a general and desperate attack on both posts, which
was resisted with great spirit, but we were at length over-
powered by numbers, and they gained possession. Our
officers and men displayed much resolution, as well militia
as continental troops. Our loss in slain cannot be said to
be great, considering the length of the action. My brother
General J. Clinton is wounded and I believe made pri-
soner ; this is the case with Major Logan ; the number
missing I can't ascertain. The ships are both burnt, and
Fort Constitution demolished by oiir people -without my
orders, but I can'' t as yet condemn tlie measure. The officers
all say it was right ; lam clear it was as to the Fort, after
removing artillery and stores, which has not been done. The
ships I hoped might have been saved. General Putnam
will retreat near to Captain Haight's, about 3 miles from
Vanwyck, and I mean to rally my broken but brave force
and advance to-morrow to Butter Hill. General Putnam
is to send Colonel Webb's regiment to join me. I beg
you will give the substance of this account to General
Gates in answer to his letters to me. I have only to add
that I greatly regret tlie loss of these posts, but I am con-
soled with the full persuasion that they have bought them

278 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, dear and tliat / have done the most in my power to save
^^^' them. I beg you to excuse incorrectness and am with
due respect.

« JV. B. Major Lush is, I believe, their prisoner.
« Your most obedient,

« GEO. CLINTON.
« To the Council of the state of J\*exv Fork,"

The following letter of General Gates is introduced in
this place, because it will evince his zeal in the public
service, recognise my letter of the 9th, to Governor Clin-
ton and pays a just tribute to the sterling worth of a great
man, a valiant soldier and a good citizen.

« Camp at Saratoga, 13th Oct. 1777.
« Sir,

" Last night I had the honour to receive your excel-
lency's letter from New Windsor of the 9th instant by ex-
press. I bad previously wrote an order to Fort Schuy-
ler, directing the commanding officer there, to send Van
Schaick's regiment without delay to Albany. I have also
desired Brigadier-general Gansevoort to repair forthwith
to that city, and take the command of all the troops that
may assemble there. I am clearly with you in opinion
tliat sliould the enemy's General push up the river, your
force, in addition to the reinforcements I can give you,
acting upon the west side, M'ill so co-operate with Gene-
ral Putnam upon the east side, that Sir H. Clinton will
not be able to effect any stroke of consequence j and, per-
haps, may finally be as much embarrassed to retreat, as
General Burgoyne most visibly appears to be. The two
heavy brass twelve pounders taken from the enemy, with
a very fine brass train, that I can spare for your succour,
will be a good recruit for your artillery. I have already
sent down the two Esopiis regiments, the Tryon county
militia, and most of the militia of Albany county, so that
General Gansevoort may be able immediately to form a
post J the moment Van Schaick's regiment gets to Albany
the cannon shall meet them there. The volunteer militia

GENERAL WILKINSON. 279

under General Wolcott, mentioned in Colonel Wilkix- chai'.
son's letter to your excellency of the 9th instant, could ^ "'
not be prevailed upon to go and remain any time in Al-
bany. They were not engaged for any term, and only
meant to remain here a few days.

<* The very great honour you excellency has acquired
by the noble defence of Fort Montgomery, will to the lat-
est posterity adorn the family of Clinton.
« I am. Sir,

*< Your excellency's most affectionate,
" And humble servant,
« H. GATES.
« Governor Clinton.**

On the 8th in the morning the whole army except the Army
camp guards, moved forward and took possession of the sessfon oV
enemy's abandoned camp, and the day was spent in tiie the ene-
random fire of artillery and small arms ; the enemy refus- IKned^*"
ing a flag with which I attempted, at every point of his camp.
line, to convey a letter to Lady Harriet Ackland from her
husband, a prisoner in our hands. The heights on which Descrip-
Burgoyne had condensed his force were strong by nature ^'r'und^'n
and had been improved by art; the great ravine which which
now covered his front, ran parallel with the entrench- coSnTed
ments of his late camp, and several small drains, covered his force.
with saplings and brush-wood, emptied their waters into
the great ravine from the rear of those intrenchments, the
ground in front being an open pine plain ; to prevent oui-
encroachment, Burgoyne had lodged his provincials and
sharp shooters at the heads of these drains, from whence
they continued, the whole day, to annoy every person who
crossed their line of vision, and it was from a shot of one
of these lurking parties that General Lincoln had his leg Generui
broke, late in the day, as he was crossinjr an indenture of ^'"^o\" ,

, wounded

the ground in our front, at a spot where in passing and by the
re-passing with orders in the course of the day, I had ^h^J"; *
been fired at a dozen times, without any apprehension of shooters.
my danger, it being a long shot and the marksmen con-
cealed.

gSO MEMOIRS BY

Tlie movements in the British camp which could not be
concealed, plainly indicated a retreat ; but for want of due
foresight and seasonable precaution, it was discovered on
the evening of the 8th, that the whole army had been without
provision since the day before, and our troops exhausted
with hunger and fatigue retired to their camp, which had
been left standing in the morning; to account for this cir-
cumstance, it maybe necessary to quote the following ex-
tract from the general order of the 4th October, "The
whole army to be immediately victualled to the 7th inst.
inclusive, with two-thirds fresh and one-third salt provi-
sions, which is to be cooked as soon as possible." The
unexpected action of that day had prevented the troops
Effect of from drawing again according to rule ; and the delirium
the victo- ^p j^y ^^,jj.j.|j succeeded the victory, appeared to extm-
Ame"ricaa guish the sober reflection of the whole army, and an im-
*""y' patience for the pursuit of a retreating enemy seemed to
stifle the claims of nature.

I had been harassed by an obstinate and wasting dis-
ease for several weeks and retired to my pallet on the
evening of the 8th, too much enfeebled to employ my
pen ; in this situation a note from Brigadier-general Fel-
lows,* who had been ordered to cross the river and take
post at Saratoga, to General Lincoln who bad been badly
wounded, was handed to me ; on the perusal it occurred
to me, that we should not be able to follow Burgoyne until

* Copy of a letter from General Fellows to General Lincoln, dated,
Saratoga Barracks, October 8th, 1777.

"Dear Sir, . .,

«« I arrived at this post about eleven o'clock m the morning with
the whole of the men under my command amounting to about thirteen
hundred, and have ordered on the provision, that was collected, at
my last post. The men here are very busy in throwing up works ta
secure themselves in case of an attack. Still I think that it is neces-
sary there should be not less than four thousand men to support this

post.

" I remain. Dear Sir,

" Your sincere friend,
(Signed) «« JOHN FELLOWS.

" The Hon. Major-general Lincoln."

GENERAL WILKINSON. S81

the army drew provisions, vvliich would employ the 9th, chap.
and that if he retreated that night, which was universally ^ "
expected, he miijht fall on Fellows in the mornini^, and
cut him to pieces; to provide a2;ainst this event, I sent
for the deputy quarter-master 5|;eneral, Colonel Utlney
Hay, and dictated an answer* to General Fellows's let-
ter, which he transcribed in du])licate, and de,spj»tched Wilkinson
by a confidential express, on each side of the river; in esun^an-
the mean time Burgoyne, as was suspected, actually swer to
broke up his camp and began his retreat for Batten Hill, Kt-Hows.
on the east side of the Hudson, intending to ford at Sara- Burgoyne

* rctr££Ll8

toga; but the extreme darkness of the night, the narrow-
ness of the road, and a heavy fall of rain retarded his
march, and obliged him to halt at Davocote, two miles
sliort of Saratoga. Tiiis was most critical for General Critical
Fellows, because I was afterwards informed hy Lieutc- s'!"-^'^'^"

' •'or General

nant-colonel Southerland, of the 4rih regiment, who had Fellows.
been sent forward by General Burgoyne to reconnoitre,
that he crossed the Fishkill, and directed by General Fel-
lows's fires, who occupied a height beynnd, found his
camp so entirely unguarded, that he marched round it
without being hailed; returned and reported to Burgoyne,
and intreated permission to attack Fellows with his regi-
ment alone, but was refused. Had not this rain and
other obstructions occurred, Burgoyne must have reacli-

* " Head Quarters, Behmus's Heights, 8th Oct. 1777.

" Dear General,

" Yours from Saratoga barracks of this day just now came to hand.
As every motion of the enemy gives us reason to believe they will make
a rapid retreat, ai\d the late fatigue our troops have undergone would
make it improper to pursue them before morning, the General is of
opinion (as there is a possibility of your being overpowered by num-
bers) that you should recross the river, and use every possible exer-
tion to hinder them from crossing, which if you can effect will give
us undoubted opportunity of coming up with, and attacking them to
very great advantage. The General, nevertheless, leaves you at full
liberty to determine what is best to be done.

'• I have the honour to be, &.c.

" J AS. 'WILKINSON, D. Adj. Gcii.
" Brigadier-geiieral Fdlotvs."

VOL. T. N n

S8S MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, cd Saratoga before day, in which case Fellows would
■ have been cut up and captured, or dispersed, and Bur-
goyne's retreat to Fort George would have been unob-
structed ; but tlje arrival of my letter on the morning of
tlie 9th, advised Fellows of his danger, and as the front of
Burgoyne's army reached Saratoga, the rear of our mili-
tia was ascending the opposite bank of Hudson's river,
wliere they took post and prevented its passage.

Whilst these transactions were passing in our front,
our army was employed in drawing and cooking provi-
sions, completing ammunition, and equipping themselves
for the pursuit. I mounted at daylight on the 9th, and
proceeding up the river, passed our advanced guard, and
had reached the point where that of the enemy had been
stationed, when I observed an individual approaching me
on horseback at full gallop, with a white flag raised by
his hand, and as he advanced, he held out a letter, which
I received and read, and now offer a fac simile [a] of it, in
commemoration of the occasion. The bearer appeared
Mr.Haycs, in much trepidation, and announced to me the facetious,
sur^eon^*^ amiable Hibernian, John Macnamara Hayes,* informing
presents me at the same time, that he had been left in charge of
with a flag niany sick and wounded officers and men, whom ke in-
of truce, treated me to visit, as they were in great alarm for their
personal safety against our Indians and riflemen. I ac-
companied him, and after examining his hospital tents,
where I found about three hundred men comfortably ac-
commodated, I was introduced to the officers,! who occu-
pied Sword's house ; and persuade myself, tliose of tliem
who live will bear in memory, the heart cheering conso-
lation which I gave them, by the assurance of protectioB
in their persons and property, under a safeguard of rifle-

* Since Sir JohnTVf. Hayes, and an eminent practitioner in London.

f Names of officers recommended by General Burgoyne to the
protection of General Gates : 20th regt. Captains Richard Dowlin,
William Stanley, William Farquhar, Lieutenant James Dowlin, and
Ensipjn Morgan Conner; — 21st regt. Captain the Hon. Malcolm Ram-
sey, Lieutenant Richard Risii nd; — Berncr's Chasseurs, Captain Van
Glysenburgh, Lieutenant Brodie.

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S8S f^' MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, cd Saratoga before day, in which case Fellows wouM
^^!^^ have been cut up and captured, or dispersed, and Bur-
goyne's retreat to F'ort George would have been unob-
structed ; but the aj-rival of my letter on the morning of
the 9tli, advised Fellows of his danger, and as the front of
Burgoync's army reached Saratoga, the rear of our mili-
tia was ascending the opposite bank of Hudson's river,
where they took post and prevented its passage.

Whilst these transactions were passing in our front,
our army was employed in drawing and cooking provi-
sions, completing ammunition, and equipping themselves
for the pursuit. I mounted at daylight on the 9th, and
proceeding up the river, passed our advanced guard, and
had reached the point where that of the enemy had been
stationed, when 1 observed an individual approaching me
on horseback at full gallop, with a white flag raised by
his hand, and as he advanced, he held out a letter, which
I received and read, and now offer a fac simile [a] of it, in
commemoration of the occasion. The bearer appeared
Mr.Haycs, in much trepidation, and announced to me the facetious,
sur^eon^ amiable Hibernian, John Macnamara Hayes,* informing
presents me at the same time, that he had been left in charge of
with a flag many sick and wounded officers and men, whom ke in-
of truce, treated me to visit, as they were in great alarm for their
personal safety against our Indians and riflemen. I ac-
companied him, and after examining his hospital tents,
where I found about three hundred men comfortably ac-
commodated, I was introduced to the oflicers,f who occu-
pied Sword's house ; and persuade myself, those of them
who live will bear in memory, the heart cheering conso-
lation which I gave them, by the assurance of protection
in their persons and property, under a safeguard of rifle-

* Since Sir JohnTVI. Hayes, and an eminent practitioner in London

f Names of officers recommended by General Burgoyne to the
protection of General Gates : 20th regt. Captains Kicliard Dowlin,
William Stanley, William Farquhar, Lieutenant James Dowlin, and
Ensign Morgan Conner; — 21st regt. Captain the Hon. Malcolm Ram-
sey, Lieutenant Richard Riiil nd; — Berncr's Chasseurs, Captain Van
Glysenburgh, Lieutenant Brodie.

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GENERAL AVILKINSON. ^3

men, and of every comfort in tl»e power of the American cfiap.
general to bestow. ^ "

The exertions of the two preceding days, appeared on
the 9th, to have appalled the energy of the troops ; the
weather was unfavourable, the commissariat dilatory, and
the men seemed to prefer repose to action. Disease made
me impatient, and 1 freely expressed my chagrin at the
delay to General Gates, who consoled me with his ap-
probation of my conduct and thanks for my services. The
day wasted without a movement to the front, excepting
parties of observation, and the night found us on our old
ground. About 10 o'clock 1 was advised from the ad-
vanced guard on the river, that a batteau under a flag of
truce had arrived from the enemy, with a lady on board,
who bore a letter to Gen. Gates from Gen. Burgoyne, of
which I shall here record a fac simile, [b] in honour of the
sensibility which dictated it, and as a testimony of that
supreme degree of fortitude, resignation, constancy and
affection, which is most frequently discovered under the
most tender forms; and I will add from my own obser-
vation, and I do it with lively satisfaction, that in the ex-
ercise of those duties and those virtues which ornament
and sweeten the married life; in every trial of adversity,
the fair and feeble sex shew themselves superior to the
lordly animals of the creation, and furnish examples of
tranquil firmness and resolution to their protectors.

Major Henry Dearborn,* who commanded the guard,
was ordered to detain tlie flag until the morning; the
night being exceedingly dark, and the quality of the lady
unknown. As this incident has been grossly misrepre-
sented to the injury of the American character, which in
arms is that of courage, clemency and humanity; to correct
the delusions which have flowed from General Burgoyne's
pen, who although the vehicle, could not have been the
author, of the calumny — I am authorised by General
Dearborn to make the following statement, in which
I place entire confidence. His guard occupied a cabin,

* Late Major-general Dearborp.

y\=>

. ■ ^

u '^ ■ ■ - .

y

GENERAL WILKINSON. ^3

men, and of every comfort in tlie power of the American chap.
general to bestow. ^ "

The exertions of the two preceding days, appeared on
the 9th, to have appalled the energy of the troops ; the
weather was unfavourable, the commissariat dilatory, and
tlje men seemed to prefer repose to action. Disease made
me impatient, and I freely expressed my cliagrin at the
delay to General Gates, who consoled me with his ap-
probation of my conduct and thanks for my services. The
day wasted without a movement to the front, excepting
parties of observation, and the night found us on our old
ground. About 10 o'clock 1 was advised from the ad-
vanced guard on the river, that a batteau under a flag of
truce had arrived from the enemy, with a lady on board,
who bore a letter to Gen. Gates from Gen. Burgoyne, of
which I shall here record a fac simile, [b] in honour of the
sensibility which dictated it, and as a testimony of that
supreme degree of fortitude, resignation, constancy and
aifection, which is most frequently discovered under the
most tender forms ; and I will add from my own obser-
vation, and I do it with lively satisfaction, that in the ex-
ercise of those duties and those virtues which ornament
and sweeten the married life; in every trial of adversity,
the fair and feeble sex shew themselves superior to the
lordly animals of the creation, and furnish examples of
tranquil firmness aiid resolution to their protectors.

Major Henry Dearborn,* who commanded the guard,
was ordered to detain the flag until the morning ; the
night being exceedingly dark, and the quality of the lady
unknown. As this incident has been grossly misrepre-
sented to the injury of the American character, which in
arms is that of coinage, clemency and humanity; to correct
the delusions which have flowed from General Burgoyne's
pen, who although the vehicle, could not have been the
author, of the calumny — I am authorised by General
Dearborn to make the following statement, in which
I place entire confidence. His guard occupied a cabiu^

* Late Major-general Dearborp.

S84i

MEMOIRS BY

CHAP.
VII

Lady H.
^ckland
is receiv-
ed by
General
Gates.

British
army dis-
covered
entrench-
ed oil the
heiglits
above the
Fish-kill.

in whicli there was a back apartment appropriated to his
own accommodation : the party on board the boat at-
tracted the attention of the sentinel, and he had not hail-
ed ten minutes, before she struck the shore; the lady was
immediately conveyed into the apartment of the Major,
which had been cleared for her reception ; her attendants
followed with her bedding and necessaries, a fire was
made, and her mind was relieved from the horrors which
oppressed it, by the assurance of her husband's safety ;
she took tea, and was accommodated as comf(»rtably as
circumstances would permit, and the next morning when
I vis.ted the guard before sunrise, her boat had put off,
and was floating down tiie stream to our camp, where
General Gates, whose gallantry will not be denied, stood
ready to receive her with all the tenderness and resjject
to which her rank and condition gave her a claim : in-
deed the feminine figure, the benign aspect, and polished
manners of this charming woman, were alone sufficient to
attract the sympathy of the most obdurate; but if ano-
ther motive could have been wanting to inspire respect,
it was furnished by the peculiar circumstances of Lady
Harriet, then in that most delicate situation, which can-
not fail to interest the solicitudes of every being possess-
ing the form and feelings of a man : it was therefore
the foulest injustice to brand an American oilicer with
the failure of courtesy, where it was ao highly merited.
Major Ackland had set out for Albany, where he was
joined by his lady.

The 9th passed without other casualty than the recep-
tion of fifty or sixty Germans, who deserted from the
enemy, and from whom their situation was well under-
stood. The morning of the 10th found the troops still
deficient in provisions; it rained, and the army did not
march until the afternoon : our front reached Saratoga
about four o'clock, where we discovered the British army
encamped on the heights beyond the Fish-kill, General
Fellows's corps on the opposite bank of the river, and
the batteaux of the enemy at the mouth of the creek, with
a fatigue party busily employed unloading and conveying

GENERAL VVILKINs6n. 285

their contents across the plain to the heights. The com- chap,
innn(lirij» oflicer of artillery, Major Stevens, gallant, vi- ^"•
gilant, and ready to improve every advantage, ran a
couple of light pieces* down on the plain near the river,
and opened a battery upon the batteaux and working
party at the landing, which soon dispersed it; hut he
drew the fire of the enemy's whole park upon him from
the heiglits, which obliged him to retire after the loss of
a tumbril, which was blown up by a shot from the enemy,
and caused a shout from the whole British army.

The army took a position in the wood on the heights,
in several lines, their right resting on the brow of the
hill, about a mile in rear of the Fish-kill, Colonel Mor-
gan being in front and near the church. I made it my
invariable duty personally to see the guards and pickets
of the night posted. Having performed this service, I re-
turned to the General's (|uartcrs about 11 o'clock, which
I found in a small hovel, about ten feet square, at the
foot of the hill, out of which it hail been partially dug;
the floor had been prepared by nature : in one corner
four forks with cross pieces, supported the boards which
received the General's pallet, and in another some clean
straw and a pair of blankets, with my saddle for a pillow,
furnished me a comfortable birth. On entering I found
a candle burning on a small camp table, and the General
awake. He called my attention to an order which lay
upon the table. I do not find tliis order recorded in my
orderly book, but it was of the following effect : »< The General

order lOF

army xvill advance at rercille to-morrow mornings Mar- ^i,g ^j.
gan^s corps to keep the heights on the Icftf and the main ^ance of
body to march on the great road near the nrer.'* I could
not approve of this movement, and the General re-
quired my objections. I was of opinion, " that he would
commit himself to the enemy in their strong position."

* The late Colonel Freeman of the artillery, was then a subaltern,
and served one of those pieces ; his length of service, in the opinion
of President Madison, gave him a claim to a discharge, and he was
accordingly at the late derangement tlnown aside as useless lumber.

386

MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. He replied, « that tlicy were already on the retreat, and
wotild be miles ahead of us before morning." I an-
swered, " tliat he had no assurance of this, and that
I had just left their guards on post;'* and went on to
observe, « that with submission I conceived we ought
to reconoitre, before the army marched; because should
wc, contrary to his calculaticm, explore our way through
a dense fog,* and fall in with the enemy posted behind
their intrcnchments, the consequences might be destruc-
tive." These observations appeared to have weight
with the General, and he ordered me to rise early to at-
tend to the movement, and report to him ; but he would
not give up the opinion that the enemy had retreated,
and observed " it was natural that they should sacrifice
guards to conceal their movements."
Wilkinson I was on horseback before reveille, and rode directly
reconnoi- ^^ Colonel Morgan's position, a mile in advance; but be-
fore I reached it he had decamped, and with some diffi-
culty had crossed the Fish-kiil on a raft of loose logs, at
the foot of a mil! pond about three-foiirtlisof a mile above
the Saratoga mills. I forded the creek at a deep and
rapid ford just below the dam, and as I mounted the op-
posite bank, heard several shot in my front ; the fog as
usual being so thick that I could not distinguish objects
at twenty paces. I pressed forward in the direction of
the sound, and soon fell in with our elite, which had re-
coiled ; and was informed by Colonel Morgan, that he
was advancing agreeably to orders, and had fallen in
with a pickel of the enemy, by whose fire he had lost an
officer (a Lieutenant Harrison I think,) and two privates,
lie was of opinion, the main body of the enemy had not
moved, but could not ascertain the fact; he knew the
creek was in his rear, disliked his situation, and was de-
sirous to change it, but was a stranger to the ground. I
had examined it during the retreat of the army in Au-
gust, and knew that a turn of the creek would render his
situation critical, in case the enemy should press him. I

• Togs were invariable every morning, except when it rained.

tre, and

meets

Colonel

Morg-an

retiring.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 367

therefore advised l«im to incline to his left, and throw his cn\r.
corps into airland promised to support him witli two ^"
bri trades. I hastened to head quarters, reported to the
General, and received instructions to order Patterson's
and Lcarned's hritjades to support Morgan. Having
performed this duty, and conducted General Learned*
across the creek, I rt'turncd to tlie main column in the
road, whicli had halted near the termination of the sharp
ridge on the left, between the church and Genera! Schuy-
ler's house; I found Brigadier-generals Nixon and Gh)ver
and Major Stevens at the head of the troops. On inquiring
the cause of the lialt, Glover observed tliey were waiting
for guides to conduct them across tlie creek. I proffered
my services, and at this instant Major Pierce, an aid-de-
camp of General Gates, rode up to mc, to say from the
General, <« that the troops must immediately cross the Tronpsor-
creek, or return to their camp." I felt the critical im- ^.^gs the

portance of the movement we were making in the dark, i-'sb-kiii,

or return
for the fog still continued; I feared the consequences, j^o camp.

trembled for my general, and was vexed at his absence.
In this tumult of the passions, I returned an hasty an-
swer : " Tell the General, that his own fame and tbe in-
terests of the cause are at hazard; that his presence is
necessary with the troops." As I led off the column Ma-
jor Stevens offered to accompany me, and we proceeded
towards the ford, between tiie mills and the site of old
Fort Lawrence, near the mouth of tlie creek, followed by
an advanced guard of fifty men., under the command of,
I think. Captain Goodalef of Putnam's i cgiment, the fog
being still exceeding thick; we were directed by a patli
to the ford, and entered the creek some distance ahead
of the guard; our horses had halted to diink, and in
leaning down on the neck of my own, 1 cast my eyes up

• He was junior to Patterson, but the Litter was general officer of
the day, and therefore Learned commanded the two brigades, as botli
the major-generals were wounded.

f This gallant soldier, and virtuous citizen, migrated to the Ohio
after the peace, settled n«ar Belpr^, and was murdered by the In-
dians.

288

MEMOIRS BY

CHAP.
VII.

Wilkinson
discovers
a party of
the enemy.

British
army is
discover-
ed under
arms.

to tite opposite bank, and through the fog discovered a
party of men in motion. I whispered to my companion;
we gently reined up our horses, and turned about, a rip-
ple in the water concealing the noise of our movement.
Goodale had just approached the bank of the creek: I
directed him to the enemy, and ordered him to charge,
which he did witii resolution, and rushing upon them be-
fore they discovered him, !»e took a reconnoitring party
of a subaltern and thirty-five men, without a siiot, from
Mhom 1 learnt the army of the enemy were on post. The
front of tl»e column had by this time crossed the creek,
the General was a mile off, and I had no authority to
check the movement; twelve or fifteen hundred men had
passed, when the fog was suddenly dispersed, and wc
behehl the British army under arms; their park in our
front, and our loft exposed to their centre; a lieavy fire
of artillery and small arms was immediately opened
on us, and otu' troops unexpectedly attacked in flank and
front, broke and retreated over the creek in great dis-
order. A standing order had been issued the day before,
with a view to the most prompt co-operation of our whole
force, viz. " Thai in case of an attack against any point,
whether front, fiank or rear, the troops are to fall on the ene-
my at all quarters.** We had not yet heard from the corps
of General Learned, and it occurred to me, that, deceived
by the firing on our right, he might be led into a disad-
vantageous attack. I instantly clapped spurs to my horse,
crossed the creek at the ford below the mill dam, and
reached the front of the two brigades, at about two hun-
dred yards from Burgoyne's strongest post, on the crown
of the hill west of the creek, which was occupied by the
grenadiers, light infantry, and other corps. The troops
were advancing by files from the right of platoons, and
had just entered the ground which had been cleared off
b) the enemy, in front of their retrenchment, which was
abbatised. If I had been three minutes later, our left
wing would have been engaged under every disadvan-
tage, at the time the right had given way, and the conse-
quences might have been calamitous. I found General

aENERAL WILKINSON. 289

Lcarnp-d near the centre, and bcgi^ed him to liall, which CHAP,
was immediately done, by passing tlie word to the riglit ^"
and loft. I then observed to him, that «< he must re- ,, ,,
treat." Me asked me, «« Have you or(h;rs ?" I answer- i>alis co-
cd him, " 1 have not, as the exigency of the case did not ^l'^]^,^ ^'|.^'*
allow me time to see General Gates." He observed, g^^Je'on
*< Our brethren ai-e engaged on the right, and the stand- autliorhy.
ing order is to attack.^* I informed him " our troops on
the right have retirerf, and the fire you hear is from
the enemy;" and 1 added, "altliough I have no orders
for your retreat, I pledge my life for the General's ap-
probation." By this time several field ofliccrs had join-
ed us, and among them I remember Lieutenant-colonels
Brooks* and Tupper, who approved the proposition, and
General Learned accorded : it then became a question
how we should retire, and it was agreed as the most
prompt and least exposed movement, to come to the
right about, and march by the left. The enemy were
watching our motions with shouldered arms ; and the
moment the troops came about, they opened upon us with Enemy
their artillery and small arms, and killed an officer and ^P^" *'*^"^

•^ lire upon

several men, before we were masked by the wood. The the two
two brigades fell back about half a mile to a field, where ^'''S'*'ies

'-' ' while

they took a strong position, which they fortified and held chanji^iiig
until the surrender of the British army; Morgan's corps P°^'^^°"'
being on their left, and extended in rear of the enemy's
right : the brigades of Glover and Nixon after their re-
pulse resumed their positions on the heights west of the
great road; and the remainder of the 11th and the whole
of the 12th and 13th passed without any notable occur-
rence, except affairs of pickets and several brisk can-
nonades, unless the augmentation of our militia force from
all quarters, and the following correspondence between
General Gates and General Burgoyne, may be so con-
sidered. ^

* Governor of Massachusetts.

VOL. I. O O

^90 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP.
VII. « Saratoga, Oct. ±2th, 1777.

«' Sir,

<« I linil (he liojioiir to receive your excellency's letter
by Lady Arklaiid. The respect due to her ladyship's
rank, the tenderness due to her person and sex, wer&
alone sufBcient recommendations, to entitle her to my
protection; and considering my preceding conduct, with
respect to those of your army, whom the fortune of war
has placed in my hands, I am surprised your excellency,
should thiidi, that I could consider the greatest attention
to Lady Arkland in the light of an ohligation.

" The cruelties wliicli mark the retreat of your army,
in burning the gentlemens' and farmers' houses as it
passed along, is almost, among civilised nations, without
precedent ; they should not endeavour to ruin those they
could notconqtier; their conduct betrays more of the vin-
dictive malice of a monk than the generosity of a soldier.

« Your friend Sir Francis Clark, by the information of
Doctor Potts, the director-general of my hospital, lan-
guishes under a very dangerous wound, every sort of
tenderness and attention is paid to him, as well as to all
the wounded, who have fallen into my hands, and the
hospital which you was necessitated to leave to my mercy.

« At the solicitation of Major AYilliams, I am prevail-
ed upon to offer him and Major Milhorn in exchange
for Colonel Ethan Allen. Your objections to my last
proposals for the exchange of Colonel Ethan Allen, I
must consider as trifling, as I cannot but suppose that the
Generals of the Royal Armies act in equal concert, with
those of the Generals of the Armies of the United States..

« The bearer delivers a number of letters from the offi-
cers of your army, taken prisoners in the action of the
7th instant.
^ « I am. Sir, Scr.

(Signed) "HORATIO GATES.

(f General Burgoyne."

GENERAL WILKIIVSON. gQj

CHAP.

ii Saratoga, Oct. 12</i, 1777. vii.

*< Lieuteiiaiit-gcneral Burgoyne presents liis compli-
nienls to JNlajor-genoral Gates, ami will send an answer
to iiis letter with the ofliceis' baggage as soon as possible."

I shall conclude this chapter with the following extract
from a narrative j)ublislieU in the German language at
Berlin, in 1800. It is from the pen of the amiable, the
accomplished and dignified Baroness Reidesel, whose
charming blue eyes, I have more than once seen bedewed
with tears at the recital of her sufTei-ings. This lady
with tv\o infant childien accompanied her husband Major-
general the Baron Reidesel from Germany to England,
from England to Canada, and from the last place to the
termination of General Burgoyne's campaign, in which
she suffered more than the horrors of the grave in their
most frightful aspect; an imperfect translation does not
render justice to the style of Madam Reidesel, but the
artless interesting tale fuiiiishes strong proof of its au-
thenticity. I trust I shall be pardoned for presenting
it to my fair readers, and whilst it serves to explain
and wind up some of the distressing scenes, which
were i>assing in the enemy's camp, at and after the
actions I have been describing, it furnishes a glimpse
of the horrors of war. 1 trust it tiiay warn my charm-
ing countrymen against the miseries, to which the high-
ly accomplished authoress, and her interesting friend
and fellow sufferer, Lady Harriet Ackland, were so im-
minently exposed. Would to iieaven that it might produce
another effect, which 1 consider vitally essential to the
permanent tranquillity of these states; were my honour-
ed countrywomen to consult patriot duty and personal
happiness, they would avert their eyes from and shut their
ears to

*< The neighing steed and the loud trump,

" The spirit stirring drum, and the shrill fife,

« The royal banner, and all quality,

f> Pride, pomp and circumstaucc of glorious war.*'

VI.

292 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. And then no more would exterior trappings and a flip-
pant air, seduce the heart from the contemplation of the
social virtues, of improved understanding and refined
sensibility; robbed of their praise and their patronage,
the overwhelming thirst for military glory would be al-
layed, and excellence in the more solid and useful pursuits
of civil life, would excite the rivalry of the rising genera-
tion ; and the great cause of morality and religion would he
promoted, to support the constitution of our country ;
and to the honour of the American fair it might be said,
that they tamed

i< the spirit of wild war.

« That like a lion fostered up at hand,
«< It may lie gently at the foot of peace."

Extract from the Baroness BddeseVs jyarrative.

«<As we had to march still further, I ordered a large
calash to be built capable of holding my three children,
myself and two female servants, in tliis manner we mov-
ed with the army in tlie midst of the soldiery who were
very merry, singing songs and panting for action. We
had to travel through almost impassable woods and a most
picturesque and beautiful country, which was abandoned
by its inhabitants who had repaired to the standard of
General Gates^ they added much to his strength, as they
were all good marksmen and fitted by habit for the spe-
cies of warfare, the contending parties were then engag-
ed in — and the love of their country inspired them with
more tiian ordinary courage. The army had shortly to
encamp; I generally remained about an hour's march in
the rear, where I received daily visits from my husband;
the army was frequently engaged itj small affairs, but
nothing of importance took place ; and as the season was
getting cold, Major Williams of the artillery pioposed to
have a house built for me with a chimney, observing that
it would not cost more than 5 or 6 guineas, and that the
frequent change of quarters was very inconvenient to me,
it was accordingly built, and was called the Block house.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 293

from its square form and the resemblance it bore to those c«ap.
buildings. ^ "

« On the 19lh September an affair happened, which,
aIthou,^h it turned out to our advantage, yet obliged us
to halt at a place called Freeman's farm ; I was an eye
witness to the wliole aifair, and as my husband was en-
gaged in it, 1 was full of anxiety and trembled at every
shot I heard ; 1 saw a great number of the wounded, and
what added to the distress of the scene, three of Ihera
were brought into the house in which I took shelter; one
was a Major Harnage of the 62d British regiment, the
liusband of a lady of my acquaintance, another was a
Lieutenant married to a lady, with whom 1 had the ho-
nour to be on terms of intimacy, and the third was an
oilicer of the name of Young.

♦< In a short time afterwards I heard groans proceed-
ing from a room near mine, and knew they must have
been occasiujied b> the sufferings of the last mentioned
officer, who lay writhing in his wounds.

«< His mournful situation interested me much, and the
more so, because the recollectioii of many polite atten-
tions, received from a family of tiiat name during my
visit to England, was still forcibly impressed on my
mind. I sent to him and begged him to accept my best
services, and afterwards furnished him with food and
refreshments; he expressed a great desire to see me, po-
litely calling me his benefactress. I accordingly visited
him, and found him lying on a little straw, as he had lost
his equipage. He was a young man 18 or 19 years of
age, and really the beloved nephew of the Mr. Young,
the head of the family I have mentioned, and the only
son of his parents. This last circumstance was what he
lamented most, as to his pain he thought lightly of it.
He had lost much blood, and it was thought necessary to
amputate the leg, but this he would not consent to, and of
course a mortification took place. I sent him cushions
and coverings, and my female friends sent him a mat-
tress. I redoubled my attention to him and visited him
every day, for which I received a thousand wishes for my

394 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP happiness. At last Iiis limb was amputated, but it was

VII
^^^^1^ too late, and lie died the following day. As he lay in the

next room to me, and the partition was very tiiin, I diS"
tinctly heard his last sigh, when his immortal part quit-
ting its frail tenement, and I trust, winged its way to the
mansions of eternal bliss.

" But severe trials awaited us, and on tlie 7th October
our misfortunes began ; 1 was at breakfast with my hus-
band, and heard that something was intended. On the
same day I expected Generals Burgoyne, Phillips and
Fraser to dine with us. I saw a great movement among
the troops ; my husband told me, it was merely a re^on-
iioissance, which gave me no concern as it often happened.
I walked out of the house and met several Indians in
their war dresses, with guns in their hands. When I
asked tliem where they were going, they cried out War!
War! (meaning that they were going to battle.) This fill-
ed me with apprehension, and I had scarcely got home,
before 1 heard reports of cannon and musketry which
grew louder by degrees, till at last the noise became ex-
cessive. About 4 o'clock in the afternoon, instead of the
guests whom 1 expected. General Fraser was brought on
a litter mortally wounded. The table, which was alrea-
dy set, was instantly removed, and a bed placed in its
stead for the wounded General. I sat trembling in a
corner ; the noise grew louder and the alarm increased ;
the thouglit that my husband might perhaps be brought
in, wounded in the same manner, was terrible to me, and
distressed me exceedingly. General Fraser said to the
surgeon, << tell me if my tvound is mortal^ do not Jiatter
me." The ball had passed through his body, and unhap-
pily for the General, he had eaten a very hearty break-
fast, by which the stomach was distended, and the ball,
as tlte surgeon said, had passed through it. I heard him
often exclaim with a sigh, "Oh fatal ambition! Poor
Gr-NERAL Burgoyne ! Oh my poor wife !" He was
asked if lie had any request to make, to which he replied,
that " if General Burgoyne would permit it, he

SHOULD LIKE TO BE BURIED AT 6 o'CLOCK IN THE EVEN-

GENERAL WILKINSON. 29§

lerC. ON THE TOP OF A MOUNTAIN, IN A REDOUBT WHICH CHAP.
MAD BEEN BUILT THERE." 1 (lid liot kiKlW wlli( ll Way ^,^^^^^.

to turn, all the other rooms were full of sick. Towards
evening I saw my liusband coming, then 1 forgot all my
sorrows and thanked God that he was spared to nic. fic
ate in great haste with me and his aid-de-camp behind the
house. We had been told that we had the advantage of
the enemy, but the sorrowful faces I beheld told a differ-
ent tale, and before my husband went away he took mc
on one side, and said every thing was going very bad,
that I must keep myself in readiness to leave the place,
but not to mention it to any one. I made the pivtence
that I would move the next morning into my new house,
and had every thing packed up ready.

<« Lady IL Ackland had a tent not far from our house,
in this she slept, and the rest of the day she was in the
camp. All of a sudden, a man came to tell her that her
husband was mortally wounded and taken prisoner; on
hearing this she became very miserable, we comforted
her by telling her, that the wound was only slight, and at
the same time advised her to go over to her husband, to do
which she would certainly obtain permission, and then
she could attend him herself; she was a charming woman
and very fond of him. I spent much of the night in com-*
forting her, and then went again to my children whom I
had put to bed. 1 could not go to sleep, as I had General
Fraser and all the other wounded gentlemen in my room,
and I was sadly afraid my children would awake and by
their crying, disturb the dying man in his last moments,
who often addressed me and apologised "/o?* the trouble
he gave me.'* About 3 o'clock in the morning I was told
he could not hold out much longer; I had desired to be
informed of the near approach of this sad crisis, and I
then wrapped up my children in their clothes, and went
with them into the room below. About 8 o'clock in the
morning he died. After he was laid out and his corpse
wrapped up in a sheet, we came again into the room, and
had this sorrowful sight before us the whole day, and to
add to the melancholy scene, almost every monicut sonic

.%«l'

296 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, officer of my acquaintance was brought in wounded. The
•^^^^ cannonade commenced again 5 a retreat was spolien of,
but not the smallest motion was made towards it. About
4 o'clock in the afternoon I sa n the house which had just
been built for me in flames, and the enemy was now not
far off. We knew that General Burgoyne would not re-
fuse the last request of General Fraser, though by his ac-
ceding to it, an unnecessary delay was occasioned, by
whicli the inconvenience of the army was much increas-
ed. At 6 o'clock the corpse was brought out, and we saw
all the Generals attend it to the mountain ; the chaplain,
Mr. Brudenell, performed tlie funeral service, rendered
unusually s<demn and awful from its being accom-
panied by constant peals from the enemy's artillery.
Many cannon balls flew close by me, but I had my eyes
directed towards the mountain,* where my husband was
standing, amidst tlie fire of the enemy, and of course, I
could not think of my own danger.

« General Gates afterwards said, that if he had known
it had been a funeral he would not have permitted it to be
fired on."

* The height occupied by Burg^oyne on the 18th, which ran paral
lei with the river until it approached General Gates's camp.

GENERAL WILKINSON. ' . ftgy

CHAPTER VIII.

Communication between General Burgoyne and General chap
Gates. — Colonel Wilkinson meets the British rnajor, ^^-v-,^^
Kingston, at the advanced posts, and conducts him to
head quarters. — His introduction to General Gates. —
Proves to be an old acquaintance. — Reads a message
from General Burgorjne, and receives General Gates^s
proposals in return. — Conversation which ensued. — He is
escorted back to the advanced post. — Colonel Wilkinson
suggests to General Gates the advantage he has given the
cnemij, by being first to name the grounds of surrender.
— General Gates's reply. — Major Kingston returns with
a Jlag. — Counter-projmsals madfi by General Burgoyne,
and assented to by General Gates. — Colonel Wilkinson
and General Whipple appointed to meet Lieutenant-colonel
Sutherland and Colonel Craig, to draw up a convention.
— They form articles, which are approved by their re-
spective generals. — Captain Craig^s letter of the 15th to
Colonel Wilkinson, with his answer. — General Burgoyne* s
message of the ±6th to General Gates. — Wilkinson autho-
rised to answer it. — Meets Generals Burgoyne, Phillips,
Reidcscl, Hamilton, Gall and Sjyecht.—High military cha-
racters of the British officers, contrasted with Wilkinson^ s
inexperience. — Conversation between General Burgoyne
and Colonel Wilkinson. — The tnice dissolved. — Wilkinson
retires. — Is recalled. — General Burgoyne asks time to
consult his officers. — This is granted. — Wilkinson waits
the result at the American picket. — A messenger from
General Gates, by wJwm he transmits a brief account of
his proceedings. — The truce expires. — The British Lieu-
tenant-colonel Sutherland crosses the creek.-^Conversa-
tion between him and Wilkinson. — He returns with Cap-
tain Craig^s letter. — Impatience of General Gates at the
delay. — Convention is signed, with an additional article,

VOL. I. P p

ms

MEMOIRS BY

specijically including General Burgoyne. — Wilkinson pre-
sents the convention to General Gates, who assents to the
additional article. — The convention andjield return of tJw
forces which surrendered.— Reflections on the convention.
'-^Intended operations of the enemy, in the event of the
convention not being signed. — Meeting between Generals
Bnrgoijne and Gates. — His staff is introduced to the lat-
ter.— Wilkinson, sinking under disease, is conveyed to
Mbany. — In this state is despatched to Congress, with
the convention. — General Gates^s letter to President Han-
cockfOflSth J\''ov. ±777. — Wilkinson proceeds on his jour-
ney.— Reaches Easton, where he meets Dr. Shippen and

Mrs. , and has a conversation respecting General

Conway- s letter. — His interview with General Mifflin at
Reading. — Conway's letter again mentioned. — .Arrives at
Congress, and delivers his despatches. — Has an audience
of that honourable body. — Perceives a disjwsition in cer-
tain members to depreciate the importance of the convene
tion. — Determines to defeat their plan. — Frames a mes-
sage from General Gates to Congress, which he delivers
with sundry documents to the house. — Receives the brevet
of brigadier-general. — Sets out to the grand army.'— Calls

at Reading, and spends some days there Character of

Edward Riddle, esq. and of Alexander Gray don. — Visits
the camp at White Marsh. — Reception by General Wash-
ington.— Interview with General Conway. — JYarrative
of the Baroness Reidesel continued.

CHAP.
VIII.

Retuhning to our hovel on the niglit of the 13th,
after posting the guards, the General, who had been
asleep, awoke, and desired me to read the following

« October ISth, 1777.
"Lieutenant-general Burgoyne is desirous of sending

Corres-
pondence notes.
between
General
Gates and

Burffoyne. * ^*^''^ officer to Major-general Gates, upon a matter of
high moiliCnt to both armies. The Lieutenant-general
requests to be informed at what time General Gates will
receive him to-morrow morning.

<« Major-general Gates.*' >

GENERAL WILKINSON. 299

CHAP.

« Camp at Saratoga, 9 d'clocky P. M. ^"i-
" Oct. 13th, 1777. v-*^^^^^

"* Major-general Gates will receive a field officer from
Lieutenant-general Burgoync, at the advanced post of
the array of the United States, at 10 o'clo( k to-morrow
ttiorning, from whence he will be conducted to head
quarters.

" Lieutenant-general Burgoyne."

After the perusal of them, I asked him whetlter he had
not condescended improperly in agreeing to receive the
deputy of his adversary at his head quarters, within his
guards, and between tlie lines of his army ? After a mi-
nute's reflection he replied, " You arc right, y(»ung man ;
I was hasty; but what's to be done?" "I will meet the
flag," said I, " and endeavour to draw the message from
the officer ; but if he claims your engagement, he must
be admitted." « Agreed," said he, «« do so;" and at the
hour appointed I repaired to the advanced post, accom-
panied by Mr. Henry Livingston,* of the Upper Manoi'
on the Hudson's river. The bridge across the Fish-kill
had been destroyed, but the sleepers remained. We did
not wait many minutes before the chamade was beat at
the advanced guard of the enemy, and an officer descend- Wilkinsoa
ing the hill, stepped across the creek on one of the sleep- gp^l^j^ '^
ers of the late bridge ; it was ** Major Kingston, with a Major
message from Lieutenant-ger.^ral Bury,oyne to Major- a;'"he^°"
general Gates." I named to him « Colonel Wilkinson, advanced
on the part of General Gates, to receive the message." ^^^
He paused a moment, pulled out a paper, looked at it,
and observed, " My orders direct me to Major-general
Gates." " It is to save time and trouble that I am au-
thorised to receive the message you bear." lie then took
General Gates's note to General Burgojne from his
pocket, read it, and said « General Gates has agreed to
receive the message, and I am not authorised to deliver

• Since a major-general of the militia of New York.

300 MEMOIRS l^Y

CHAP, it to any other person." " Well then, Sir, you must sub-
^'''' mit to be hood-winked." He affected to start at the pro-
position, and objertcd, on the ground of its being an in-
dignity : I could but smile at the expression, and ob-
served, that « I had understood there was nothing more
common, than to blindfold military messengers, when
they were admitted within the walls of a place, or
the guards of a camp." He replied, " Well, Sir, I will
submit to it, but under the express stipulation, that
no indignity is intended to the British arms." I then
carefully bound up his eyes with his own handker-
chief; he took my arm, and in this way we walked up-
wards of a mile to liead quarters. Major Kingston ap-
peared to he about forty ; he was a well formed, ruddy,
handsome man, and expatiated with taste and eloquence
on the beautiful scenery of the Hudson's river, and the
charms of the season : when I introduced him into Ge-
neral Gates's tent, and named him, the gentlemen saluted
«ach other familiarly, with " General Gates, your ser-
vant,"— " Ah! Kingston, how do you do?" and a shake
of the hand. Being seated a few minutes, he arose and
observed he had certain communications to make Major-
general Gates from Lieutenant-general Burgoyne, and
to guard against inaccuracy of memory, he had commit-
ted tijem to paper, and with permission would read them.
The General consented, and the Major took from his
pocket and read.

Reads his J^temoraiidiim of a Message delivered by Major Kingstotif.
message Jrom Lieutenant-general Burgoyne to Major-general

from _,

General G^«^f«-

Burgoyne. ' '

" The General from a great deal of business did not
yesterday answer your letter about the officers, but in-
tended it.

<« In regard to the reproaches made upon this army of
burning the country, they are unjust; General Schuyler's
house and adjacent buildings remained protected till Ge-
neral Gates's troops approached the Ford, General Bur-

GENERAL WILKINSON. 301

goyne avows the order for setting fire at that time to chap
every thing that covered the riiovcinent. ^"'•

" The barracks particularly took fire by mere acci-
dent, and measures were taken, though ineffectual, to
save them. If Uiere has been any vindictive spirit in
burning other buildings on the inarch, it has probably
been employed by some secret well-wishers to the Ame-
rican cause, as Central Burgoyne has been informed
some of the buildings belonged to supposed friends of
the king. The General docs not think that General
Gates has a right, from any thing that has appeared in
bis conduct or reasoning, to make use of the term tri-
FLixG ; and he still persists, that he cannot interfere
witli the prisoners in General Howe's army, and more
especially in a case that has been under negociation be-
tween General Howe and General Washington."

He added that General Gates would perceive this was
an answer to his letter of the l52th, and that the other
paper to which he claimed the General's attention was
of a very different nature; he theu offered the following
propositions.

« I am directed to represent to you from General Bur-
goyne, that after having fought you twice, lie has waited
some days in his j)resent position determined to try a
tliird conflict against any force you could bring to attack
bim.

*• He is apprised of the superiority of your numbers,
and the disposition of your troops to impede bis supplies
and render his retreat a scene of carnage on both sides.
In this situation he is impelled by humanity, and thinks ,
himself justified by established principles and precedents
of state and of war, to spare the lives of brave men upon
honourable terms ; should Major-general Gates be inclin-
ed to treat upon that idea, General Burgoyne would pro-
pt^se a cessation of arms, during the time necessary to
communicate the preliminary terms, by which in any ex-
tremity he and army mean to abide.'*

302 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. So soon as he had finished, to ray utter astonishment,
^ "'■ General Gates put his hand to his side pocket, pulled out
General ^ paper, and presented it to Kin.^ston, observing " Tliertf
Gates de- Sir, art the terms on which General Burgoyne must sur^
pro'^posals render." The Major appeared thunderstruck, but read
for Gene- the paper, whilst the old chief surveyed him attentively
goyne's through his spectacles. Having finished the perusal of
surrender, the propositions of General Gates, Major Kingston ap-
peared exceedingly mortified, and said to the General^
<«Imust beg leave to decline delivering this paper to
Lieutenant-general Burgoyne, because, although I can*
not presume to speak for him, I think the propositions
it contains cannot be submitted to." The General ob-
served that he might be mistaken, and that there could
be no impropriety in his delivering them. Kingston re-
quested they might be sent by one of his own oflicers,
which the General declined, and remarked, « that as he
had brought the message, he ought to take back the an-
swer;" to which the Major reluctantly consented, took
leave, and I again filletted him, and at his request con-
ducted him to our advanced guard. Very different was
his conversation in returning : he complained of General
Gates's propositions, to which I was still a perfect
stranger ; talked of the pride and spirit of his army, and
called my recollection to the feats performed by six Bri'
tish regiments at the battle of Minden, I felt for his
chagrin, and said nothing to increase it; and having
passed him beyond our guards, I hastened back to head
quarters, filled with uneasiness by the course which Ge-
neral Gates had adopted.

As soon as 1 returned, I yielded to the prescriptions
of duty and affection, and inquired of the General whe-
ther " he had not given Burgoyne an advantage, by not
waiting to receive his overtures, before he presented his
own terms ?" He could see none. I then inquired « whe-
ther he meant, in any extremity, to recede from the pro-
positions he had made ?" He admitted that he did, and
would relax a great deal to get possession of the enemy's
arms. I did not venture to oppose my inexperience to

* -4^

GENERAL WILKINSON. 303

his knowledge, but observed, « that in the capitulations chap.
of Cape Breton, Quebec, Montreal, and other places, ^ '""
which I had read, the propositions were made by the be-
sieged, and were granted, modified, or refused, by the
besiegers, at their discretion; but that having offered
conditions by which he did not mean to abide, I was
fearful Burgoyne would dictate the terms of surrender."
After musing some time, he clapped me on the shoulder,
and exclaimed with much complacency and affection,
<* Wilky,* you are right again ; but it is done, and we General
must make the most of it; I shall be content to get the ^b^s^gr^a.
arms out of their hands." tions in

About sun-set the same day it was notified to me that a ^^^ ^'
flag waited at the advanced guard, and I pro( ceded to re-
ceive it. I again met Major Kingston, who presented ano- Major
ther message from Lieutenant-general Burgoyne to Ma- returns"^
jor-general Gates, accompanied by the propositions of the *''tli the
latter, which had been transmitted by Major Kingston, proposals

and the answers of the former annexed, together with the "^ General
... ^., ii^'iT. Burpoyne,

preliminary articles, proposed by General Burgoyne, to which

which were substantially assented to by General Gates, General

, , , . .-» , T. Gates as-

and thus my apprehensions were verified. Burgoyne sents.
made his own convention, and saved his accoutrements,
military chest,f and colours,:^ all of which were retained

• A familiar designation fixed on me at Ticonderoga, In 1776, by
that excellent officer, my fi:iend Colonel Matt. Ogden, of the Jerseys.

f Examination of Colontl ICin^'ston, depxity adjutant-general of Lieute-
nant Burgoyne' s army before the House of Commons.

" Question. — What became of the rest of the money in the military
chest ?

** Jlnswer. — It was taken by the paymaster-general to Albany,
" Question. — Did any part of it fall into the hands of the enemy ?
*' .^ns-.uer. — Not a shilling that I ever heard of.'"

^ Extract from the JYTemoirs of the baroness (^ Reidesel, published at
BerUn, 1800.

" General Reidesel commanded that the colours should not be sur-
rendered to the enemy with the arms, but on the contrary that the
staffs should be burnt and the flags carefully packed up, this was done
as ordered," so that each of the German regiments really kept posses-

304

MEMOIRS BY

CHAP,
VIII.

notwithstanding General Gates*s letter* to Congress of
the 3d December, 1777, which was unworthy a soldier.

General Gates^s Propositions, with General Bnrgoyne''s
Answers.

« 1st General Biir-

goyn^'s army being exceed-
ingly reduced by repeated
defeats, by desertion, sick-
ness, &c. Their provisions
exhausted, their military
stores, tents and baggage
taken or destroyed; their
retreat cut off, and their
camp invested, they can
only be allowed to surren-
der prisoners of w ar.

« 2d. — The officers and
soldiers may keep the bag-
gage belonging to them.
The Generals of the United
States never permit indivi-
duals to be pillaged.

t( sd. — The troops under
his excellency General Bur-
goyne, will be conducted by
the most convenient route
to New England, marching
by easy marches, and sufti-
cicntly provided for by the
way.

« Uh. — The officers will
be admitted on parole, may

« Lieutenant-gen'l. Bur-
goyne's army however re-
duced, will never admit
that their retreat is cut off,
while they have arms in
their hands.

« This article is answer-
ed by General Burgoyne's
first proposal, which is
hereunto annexed.

f( There being no officer
in this army under, or ca-

sion of their colours ; and the same was, no doubt, the case with the
Eritisli corps, as the colours of the 62d regiment particularly were on
the field the 19th September, and three or four Ensigns were killed.

• See Gordon, Vol. II. page 299. "

GENERAL WILKINSON.

305

wear tlieir side arms, and
will 1)0, treated with the li-
berality nistomary in Eu-
rope, so long as they by
proper behaviour oontinuc
to deserve it; but those who
are apprehended having
broken their parole, (as
some Bi'itish officers have
done) must expect to be
close confined.

it Bth. — All public stores,
artillery, arms, ammuni-
tion, carriages, horses, &c.
&c. must be delivered to
commissaries appointed to
receive them.

a 6th. — These terms be-
ing agreed to, and signed,
the troops under his excel-
lency General Burgoyne's
command, may be drawn
up in their encampment,
when they will be ordered
to ground their arms, and
may thereupon be marched
to the river side, to be pass-
ed over in their way to-
wards Bennington.

" 7th. — A cessation of
arms to continue till sunset,
to receive General Bur-
goyne's answer.

" HORATIO GATES.
" Camp at Saratogaf
±4th Oct. ±777.'*

pable of being under the CHAP.
description of breaking pa- ^"''
role, this arti( Ic needs no
answer.

« All public stores may
be delivered, arms except-
ed.

« This article inadmis-
sable in any extremity ;
sooner than this army will
consent to ground their
arms in their encampment,
they will rush on the ene-
my, determined to take no
quarter.

« J. BURGOYNE."

(^.Messaffefrom General Bnr^oyne
to General Gates, clelh>ered by .Ma-
jor Kingston, to Colonel Jnikinson.

" If General Gates does not mean
to i-ecede from the fii-st and sixth arti-
cles of his proposals, tlie treaty to end
and hostilities immediately to cgm-
mcnce.

« October Hth, 1777."

VOL, I.

Qq

306

MEMOIRS BY

CHAP.
VIII.

General Burgoyne^s preliminary articles, with GeMval
Gates's answers.

« The annexed answers
being given to Major-gene-
ral Gates's proposals, it re-
mains for Lieutenant-gene-
ral Burgoyne, and the ar-
my under his command, to
state the following prelimi-
nary articles on their part.

<* Is^. — Tlie troops to
march out of their camp
with the honours of war,
and the artillery of the in-
trenchments, which will be
left as hereafter, may be
regulated.

*< 2d.— A free passage to
be granted to this army to
Great Britain upon condi-
tion of not serving again in
North America during the
present contest, and a pro-
per post to be assigned for
the entry of transports to
receive the troops, when-
ever General Howe shall so
order.

« 3d. — Should any cartel
take place by which this
army or any part of it may
be exchanged, the forego-
ing article to be void as far
as such exchange shall be
made.

it 1st. — The troops to
march out of their camp,
with the honours of war,
and the artillery of the in-
trenchments to the verge of
the river, where the old
fort stood, where their arms
and the artillery must be
left.

« Qd Agreed to, for the

port of Boston.

<« 3d. — Agreed.

aENERAX. WILKINSON.

307

*. 4th. — All officers to re-
tain tlicir caniage.o, butt-
horses and other cattle, and
no biiv;i^i\t^e to he molested
or searched, the Lieutenant-
general giving his honour
tliat there are no public
stores secreted therein. Ma-
jor-general Gates will of
course take the necessary
measures lor the security of
this article.

*< 5ifi. — Upon the niarch
the ofliccrs are not t(» be se-
parated from their men, and
in quarters the officers are
to be lodged accoi-ding to
rank, and are not to be hin-
dered from assembling their
men for roll callings, and
otlier necessary purposes of
regularity.

tt Qth. — There are va-
rious corps in the army
composed of sailors, bat-
teauxmen,artificers,driver8,
independent companies, and
followers of the army, and
it is expected that those
persons of whatever coun-
try, shall be included in
the fullest sense and utmost
extent of the above ailichs,
and C(nnprehcndcd in every
respect as British subjec Is.

" 7th. — All Canadians
and persons belonging to
the establishment in Cana-

" 4//t. — Agreed.

CM A p.
VIFI.

« 5th. — Agreed to as far
as circumstanoes wiil ad-
mit.

<« ^th. — Agreed (o in the
fullest extent.

'< 7 th. — Ae:reed.

308

MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, da, to be permitted to re-
^'" turn there.

(s sth. — Passports to be
immediately granted for
three oflicers, not exceed-
ing the rank of Captain,
who shall be appointed by-
General Burgoyne to car-
ry despatches to Sir Wil-
liam Howe, Sir Guy Carl-
ton, and to Great Britain
by the way of New York,
and the public faith to be
engaged that these des-
patches are not to be opened.
it gth. — Tl»e foregoing
articles are to be consider-
ed only as preliminaries for
framing a treaty, in the
course of which others may
arise to be considered by
both parties, for which pur-
pose it is proposed, that
two officers of each army
shall meet and rej)ort tlieir
deliberations to their re-
spective Generals.

« 10th. — Lieutenant-ge-
neral Burgoyne will send
his deputy adjutant-gene-
ral to receive Major-gene-
ral Gates's answer, to-mor-
row morning at 10 o'clock.

(Signed)
«J. BURGOYNE.

*( Saratoga, Oct. 14th, 1777.'*

« Bth. — Agreed.

« 9th. — The capitulation
to be finished by 2 o'clock
this day, and the troops
march from their encamp-
ment at five, find be in rea-
diness to move towards
Boston to-morrow morn-
ing.

« 10/ft Complied with.

ii Saratoga, Oct. 15th, 1777.
« H. GATES."

GENERAL WILKINSON. 300

I (loliverod these preliminary articles to Major King- chap.
stoii at the stipulated time, and he soon returned with ^" '
another message from Lieutenant-general Burgoync as
follows : *

Message from General Burgoyne to General Gates, dated
October 15th, ±777.

« The eight first preliminary articles of Lieutenant-
general Burgoyne's proposals, and the 2d, 3(1, and -itli of
those of Major-general Gates of yesterday, heing agreed
to, the foundation of the proposed treaty is out of dispute,
but the several subordinate articles and regulations ne-
cessarily springing from these preliminaries, and requir-
ing explanation and precision, between the parties, before
a definitive treaty can be safely executed, a longer time
than that mentioned by General Gates in his answer to
the 9th articles becomes indispensably necessary. Lieu-
tenant-general Burgoyne is willing to appoint two otficers
immediately to meet two others from Major-general
Gates, to propound, discuses, and settle those subordinate
articles, in order that the treaty in due form may be exe-
cuted as soon as possible.

(Signed) « J. BURGOYNE.

« Camj) at Saratoga, 1 5th Oct. 1777.

« i^'*. B. Major Kingston has authority to settle the
place for the meeting of the officers proposed."

On receiving this message the General was pleased to Brigiidler.

name me as one of liis representatives, and at my request 55"*^'"''!
* •' ' Whipple

appointed Brigadier-general Whipple of the militia, to and <)lo-
accompany me; and by concert with Major Kingston, a "^* ^^'''
tent was pitched between the advanced guards of the two meet Lieu-
armies, on the first bank just above General Schuylei^'s J' "^^-«°-

♦ »• J lonel

saw mill, where we met Lieutenant-colonel Nicholas Suther-
Sutherland and Captain James H. Craig of the irth re- ^cl^^l^,^
giment, on the afternoon of the 16th, having for our se Craig.
cretary Major Pierce, an aid-de-camp of General Gates.

310 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. Having produred and exchanged credentials, we pro-

^^"' ceeded to discuss the objects of our appointment, and at

8 oVlock, P. M. we signed and exchanged articles of

capitulation, and separated to report to our respective

Generals.

Having performed this service, and received the appro-
bation of my superior, I proceeded to my daily duty, and
on returning to head quarters about 1 1 o'clock, P. M.
found tlje following note from Captain Craig, to which I
hy order immediately returned the annexed answer.

«« Camp at Saratoga, 15th Oct. | past 10 o^clock.
<« Sir,
»?ote from " Upon reporting the proceedings of this evening to
ijapiam Licutenant-general Burgoyne I was happy to receive his

'Craig' and ^ ^ '' ' . . ,

ssiswer. approbation of and ready concurrence in every article
that has been agreed on between us ; it however appears
upon a retrospect of the treaty, that our zeal to complete
it exj)cditiously has led us unto the admission of a term
in tlie title very different from his meaning, and that of the
principal officers of this army, who have been consulted
on this important occasion. We have, Sir, unguai'dedly
called that a treaty of capiMto^io/i, which the army means
only as a treaty of convention. With the single alte-
ration of this word. Lieutenant-colonel Sutherland and
myself will meet you at the stipulated time to-morrow
morning with the fair copy signed by General Bur-
goyne.

« I hope Sir, you will excuse my troubling you so late,
hut I thought it better than by any delay to prevent the
speedy conclusion of a ti*eaty which seems to be the wish
of both parties, and which may prevent the further effu-
sion of blood between us, 1 beg your immediate answer?
and am,

« Sir,

« Your obedient and humble servant,
(Signed) "JAMES HENRY CRAIG,

« CapL i7th Reg.
«< Colonel ffllkinson.*^

GENERAL WILKINSON. 311

<* Colonel Wilkinson's compliments to Captain Craig, chap.
Major-general Gales will admit the alteration required. ^"*'
« Oct. I5thy^at night:' ^t^i^.

nary note

On the morning of the 16th, General Gates received from Ge-
another message from General Burgoyne, which excited nerai Bur-
a good deal of surprise and some indignation, it was in ^°^
the following terms.

Message to Major-general Gates,

*< In the course of the night Lieutenant-general Bur-
goyne has received intelligence that a considerable force
has been detached from the army under the command of
Major-general Gates, during the course of the ncgocia-
tion of the treaty depending between them. Lieutenant-
general Burgoyne conceives this, if true, to be net only a
violation of the cessation of arms, but subversive of the
principles on which the treaty originated, viz. a great
superiority of numbers in General Gates's army. Lieute-
nant-general Burgoyne therefore requires that two offi-
cers on his part, be permitted to see that the strength of
the force now opposed to him is such as will convince
him that no such detachments have been made, and that
the same principles of superiority on which the treaty
first began still exists.

(Signed) «J. BURGOYNE.

« Camp at Saratoga, ±6th Oct, 1777."

We had made no detachment, but it was a fact that sc-
veral hundred of the New York militia, whose term of
service had expired, marched off the preceding evening
without leave; yet I was irritated by Burgoyne's demand
to examine our position and numbers, whilst opposed to
us in arms, because it was not only impudent, but I con-
sidered it an insult to my General's understanding. I
therefore hastily begged leave to wait on Burgoyne, with
authority to answer his note, in my own manner, and the

3iS

MEMOIRS BY

CHAP.

VMl.

Wilkinson
despatch-
ed to the
enemy's
head quar-
ters to an-
swer this
note.

Military

character

of Bur-

goyne,

Phillips

and Rei-

desel.

General by his consent, gave me the strongest proof of
his confuienre.

I immediately repaired to the advance guard, beat the
chamade and requested a subaltern officer, Gk^oige Ed-
ward Schlagel* of tlie 21st regiment, who received me,
to send for M^jor Kingston, whom I informed, « that I
was charged with a verbal message frosn Major-general
Gates to Lieutenant-general Burgoyne," and after some
ceremony, I was permitted to pass beiween two log re-
doubts, in the rear of which I was introduced to Litute-
nant-general Burgoyne, attended by Major-generals
Phillips and Reidesel, and Brigadier-generals Hamilton,
Gall and Sppcht.

I have some impression that my friend Mr. Livingston
again accompanied me, but will not be positive ; I have
often looked back to that interview, and the incidents of
that day, with gratitude to the invisible power which
directed my conduct; I was still a minor, when authoris-
ed to exercise my judgment on an occasion, which inte-
rested the lives of thousands, and involved momentous
national consequences. The following statement will
best interpret the merits of my agency.

A youth, in a plain blue frock, without other military
insignia than a cockade and sword, I stood in the pre-
sence of three experienced European Generals, soldiers
before my birth ; Phillips had distinguished himself (and
received the thanks of Prince Ferdinand) at Minden in
1759 ; Burgoyne had served with credit under Count La
Lippe on the Tagus, in 1762, and Reidesel was an eleve
of the Duke of Brunswick; yet the consciousness of my
inexperience did not shake my purpose, and I had con-
ceived in my mind the following message, which I de-
livered verbatim to Lieutenant-general Burgoyne from
Major-general Gates, and afte^;wards furnished a copy
of it.

Said to be a natural son of George III-

GENERAL AVILKINSON. 313

CHAP.

Message delivered by Colonel Wilkinson to Lieutenant-ge- ^"'
iieral Burgoijne, from Major-general Gates, Oct. iSth,

1777.

« MaJor-jGjeneral Gates in justice to his own reputation, Wilkinson
coikIi sccrids to assure your excellency, that no violation J^ '^'^" *
of the treaty has taken place on his part since the com- in answer
mencemcnt of it, the requisition, therefore, contained in g,,^.*^^"
your niessa,2,e uf tiiis day, is inachnissihle ; and as it now fe'oyne's
remains wilh your jcxrellency to ratify or dissolve the "°^*^'
treaty. Major-general Gales expects your immediate and
decisive reply.

(Signed) "J. WILKINSON,

" Deputy Mj. Gen."

This message was respectfully received, and some con-
versation ensued, which gave me an opening to observe,
" that his excellency must entertain an humble opinion
of Major-general Gates's professional knowledge, or he
would not have demanded permission for two of his offi-
cers critically to examine his numbers, and of conse-
quence his position, whilst the British army had their
arms in their hands, and that General Gates could not
but conceive it was trifling with him." This drew out
General Burgoyne into a most eloquent vindication of
his proceedings *« not only his own individual repu-
tation, but the service of the king his master, and the
honour of the British arms, enjoined on him the most
cautious circumspection ;'* he analysed the various spe-
cies of intelligence, from the vague camp rumour and
the reports of deserters, up to authentic information,
which last he averred was the nature of that he had
received the preceding night;* he spoke in high terms

• Tlic fact is that a spy had got into General Burgoyne's camp the
night before, who had met the retiring militia ui his route, and
brought information that General Clinton had taken Fort Montgo-

voi,. I. R p *

Jlk

314 MEMOIRS BY

CHA.P. of the resolution of his army, and ended by saying, « Ge-
^"^- neral Gates has no idea of the prin( iple and spirit which
^"^'^'^^^^ animates the army I command; there is not a man in it,
1 tissure you Colonel Wilkinson, who does not pant for
action."— "But," I replied to him, " what can the cou-
rage of a handful of men avail, against the numbers you
see on the hills beyond the river, and those which sur-
round you? who, I can assure your excellency, arc witU
difficulty restrained from falling on you at all quarters, in
the hope of dividing the spoils of your camp," and after
a moment's pause, I added, «' Be pleased, Sir, to favour
Burgoyne ^e with your determination V* lie answered, " I do not
fhe t^ruce recede from my purpose ; the truce must end." " At what
must end. time. Sir?" <* In one hour," We set watches, and on
taking leave, I observed, " After what has passed. Gene-
ral Burgoyne, there can be no treaty ; your fate must be
decided by arms, and General Gates washes his hands of
Wilkinson the blood which may be spilled." " Be it so," said he,

departs, ^j j ^ralked ofF with most uncomfortable sensations ;

and IS re-

called by for our troops were much scattered, having encompassed

iCin "ston *''^ British army three parts out of four; the men had got
the treaty into their heads, and had lost their passion for
combat, and what was worse we had been advised of the
loss of Fort Montgomery, and a rumour had just arrived
that Esopus was bijrnt, and the enemy proceeding up
the river; but I had not proceeded fifty rods, when Major
Kingst(m ran after me and hailed; I halted, and he in-
formed me, that General Burgoyne was desirous to say
a few words to me; I returned, when he addressed me by
observing, that "General Gates had in the business de-
pending between them, been very indulgent, and there-
fore he would hope for time to take the oi)inion of his
general officers, in a case of such magnitude to the two
armies ; as it was far from his disposition to trifle in an

mery; he therefore soujjht an occasion to break off the treaty, with
an intention to leave his camp and artillery standing, with his sick
and followers, :.nd with his musketry to make a night attack, force
our right, and by a rapid march gain Albany, there to wait events.

m

GENERAL WILKINSON. 3i5

affair of such imporfancc" Gen. Phillips then spoke, chap.
« Yt's Sir, yes Sir, Uvu. Burgoyiie <lon't mean to trillc on ^ '"

so serious an occasion ; but lie feels it his duly to consult ,

•^ Uiii|<<ine

his olficcrs."* I asked what time he would require ? he req.lt»is

two lif.urs
lon>^cr to
consult
• The following extracts from the evidence of the Earl of Balcar* ^j,^ ^jg.

ras before the House of Commons, will tend to explain these de- ceis.
tails.

" Question. — When Colonel Kingston brought back the first propo-
sition, wherein it was specified by Major-general Gates that ihe army
should lay down their arms in their entienchments, and surrender
prisoners of war, does your Lordship remember that General Bur-
goyne, when he read them to the council, declared he would not set
his hand to those conditions, or words to that effect?

" Ans-iver. — I think the words of the proposal from General Gates
were, that the British army should be ordered by word of command
from their adjutant-general, to lay down their arms in the entrench-
ments : it was rejected with disdain by General Burgoyne, and the
council concurred in his indignation.

*' Question. — Were the counter-proposals penned by General Bur-
goyne unanimously approved of?
" Answer. — They were.

*' Question. — When those proposals had been agreed to by General
Gates, but copies not signed by either party, do you remember Gene-
ral Burgoyne informing the council of intelligence he had received
from a spy in the night, and submitting to their consideration, whe-
ther it was consistent with public faith, and if so, expedient, to sus-
pend the execution of the treaty, and trust to events.
♦* Answer — I do remember it.

" Question.-— Tioe.% your Lordship recollect what was the result of
that consideration ?

" Ansiver. — The determination of the council, on the question being
put, was, that the public faith was bona fide plighted.

" Question — When advice was received that Sir Henry Clinton was
coming up the North river, did you apprehend the treaty of conven-
tion had gone so far that it could not be broken ?

" Ans-wer. — My opinion was, with respect to that question, that all
military negotiations were fair and justifiable to make delays and to
gain time ; I therefore thought and declared my sentiments, Uiat Ge-
neral Burgoyne was at full liberty to break off ih.it treaty in the stage
it then was, and I could not conceive that the public faith was en-
gaged, until the treaty was signed and exchanged.

" QMCs^jon.— Whether the opinion of General Burgoyne, of General
Phillips, of Brigadier Hamilton, and several otlier officers, did npt

IBl

316

MEMOIRS BY

CHAP.
VIII.

Colonel
Suther-
land
comes to
the ad-
vu,H ed
post.

Conversa-
tion be-
tween him
and Wil-
kinson.

mentioned two hours: and we again 8et watches, and I
retired, promising to wait at our picket for his answer.
The interview with General Burgoyne had been spun
out to such length, that General Gates became uneasy,
and I found a messenger waiting at our picket, to know
what I had done. 1 reported in brief, what had passed,
and what was depending ; and took a station near the
ruins of General Schuyler's liouse, where I walked, and
expected with much anxiety, the result of Genera! Bur-
goyne's consultation : the two hours had elapsed by a
quarter, and an aid-de-camp from the General had
been with me, to know liow matters progressed ; soon
after, 1 perceived Lieutenant-colonel Sutherland opposite
to me, and beckoned him to cross the creek; on ap-
proaching me he observed, " Well, our business will be
knocked on the head after all." I inquired why ? He
said, ** the officers liad got the devil in their heads, and
could not agree." I replied gaily, <« I am sorry for it,
as you will now not only lose your fusee,* but your
whole baggage." He expressed much sorrow, but said
he could not liclp it. At this moment I recollected the
letter Captain Craig had written me tlie night before,
and taking it from my pocket, I read it to the Colonel,
who declared he had not been privy to it ; and added
with evident anxiety, " Will you give me that letter." I
answered in the negative, and observed, " I should hold

coincide with your opinion in all the matters comprised in the last
question.

" ^nstver.—Aa General Burgoyne seems desirous that I should an-
swer that question, 1 declare his sentiments were the same with those
I have now delivered. T hope that the other members of that coun-
cil, will soon be in a situation to stand forward and to declare the opi-
nion that they gave, on that and every other question.

" Question. — When the question relative to the point of public faith
was decided by the majority of the council, was not the concurrence
for signing the convention unanimous ?

** Answer. — It was.

* "Which he had owned thirty-five years, and had desired me to ex*
cept from the surrendered arms and save for him, as she was a fa-
vourite piece.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 817

it as a testimony of the good faith of a British comman- chap.
dor." lie hastily replied, »♦ Spare me that letter, Sir, ^^^^1!^
and I pledge you my honour I will return it in fifteen , ,^ ^^^^
minutes." I penetrated the motive, and willingly handed Smher-

. .. • I • ' land re-

it to him ,• he sprang off with it, and directing his course ^^^^^ ^^
to the British camp, ran as far as I could see him : in the camp with
m<'an time, [ received a peremptory message from the cruig's
General, to hreak off the treaty, if the convention was ""**•
not immediately ratified. 1 informed him by the messen-
ger, that J was doing the best 1 could for him, and would
see him in half an hour. Colonel Sutherland was punc- Returns
tual to his promise, and returned with Captain Craig, tain Craig,
who delivered me the convention, signed by General Bur- bnnjr.ng

"^ the con-

goyne, \Nith an additional article specifically to include vent. on
himself, which I engaged should be admitted by General ^l'""' i^
Gates, and immediately sent to General Burgoyne. I Hiufroyne,
then returned to head quarters, after eight hours ab- ^dditfrnal
sence, and presented to General Gates the important do- article.
cument, that made the British army conventional pri- General
soners to the United States, which, together with a re- ^''t^ as-

■^ senvs to

turn, founded on authentic documents now in my posses- tlie addi-
sion, of the forces which surrendered, is deemed worthy Jl^J^j* ,^^^^
of record in this place. signs it.

Articles of Convention between Lieutenant-general Bur-
goyne and Major-general Gates.

I.

« The troops under Lieutenant-general Burgoyne, to
march out of their camp with the honours of war, and
the artillery of the entrenchments, to the verge of the
river where the old fort stood, where the arms and artil-
lery are to be left ; the arms to be piled by word of com-
mand from their own officers.

II.

«« A free passage to be granted to the army under
Lieutenant-general Burgoyne to Great Britain, on con-
dition of not serving again in North America during the
present contest ; and the port of Boston is assigned for

Ik

318 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, the entry of transports to receive the troops, whenever
^y^l^ General Howe shall so order.

III.

« Should any cartel take place, by which the army
under General Burgoyne, or any part of it, may be ex-
changed, the foregoing article to be void as far as such
exchange shall be made.

IV.

« The army under Lieutenant-general Burgoyne, to
inarch to Massachusetts Bay, by the easiest, most expe-
ditious, and convenient route; and to be quartered in,
near, or as convenient as possible to Boston, that the
march of tlie troops may not be delayed, when trans-
ports arrive to receive them.

V.

*<The troops to be supplied on their march, and du-
ring their being in quarters, with provisions, by General
Gates's orders, at the same rate of rations as the troops
of his own army; and if possible the officers' horses and
cattle are to be supplied with forage at the usual rates.^

VI.

« All officers to retain their carriages, batt-horses and
other cattle, and no baggage to be molested or searched ;
Lieutenant-general Burgoyne giving his honour that there
are no public stores secreted therein. Major-general Gates
will of course take the necessary measures for the due
performance of this article. Should any carriages be
wanted during the march for the transportation of offi-
cers' baggage, they are, if possible, to be supplied by the
country at the usual rates.

VII.

« Upon the march, and during the time tlie army shall
remain in quarters in Massachusetts Bay, the officers
are aot, as far as circumstances will admit, to be sepa-

.m

GENERAL WILKINSON. 319

ratcil from tlicir men. The officers are to be quartered Cfi\P.
accdrding to rank, and arc not to be hindered from as- ^ '"
sembling their men for roll call, and other necessary pur-
j)oses of regularity.

vin.

"All corps whatever, of General Burgoyne's army,
whether composed of sailors, batteaumen, artificers, dri-
vers, independent companies, and followers of the army,
of whatever country, shall be included in tiie fullest sense
and utmost extent of the above articles, and comprehend-
ed in every respect as British subjects.

IX.

" All Canadians, and persons belonging to the Cana-
dian establishment, consisting of sailors, batteaumen, ar-
tificers, drivers, independent companies, and many other
followers of the army, who come under no particular de-
scription, are to be permitted to return there; they arc
to be conducted immediately by the shortest route to the
first British post on Lake George, are to be supplied
with provisions in the same manner as the other troops,
and are to be bound by the same condition of not serving
during the present contest in North America.

X.

** Passports to be immediately granted for three offi-
cers, not exceeding the rank of captains, who shall be
appointed by Lieutenant-general Burgf)yne, to carry
despatches to Sir William Howe, Sir Guy Carleton, and
to Great Britain, by the way of New York; and Major-
general Gates engages the public faitli, that these des-
patches sltall not be opened. These officers are to set
out immediately after receiving their despatches, and are
to travel the shortest route and in the most expeditious
manner.

XL

« During the stay of the troops in Massachusetts Bar.

320

MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, the officers are to be admitted on parole, and are to be
^'"' allowed to wear their side arms.

Reflec-
tions on
the con-
vention.

XH.

«< Should llie army under Lieutenant-general Bur-
gnyne find it necessary to send for their clothing and
other baggage to Canada, they are to be pt rrniiterl (o do
it in the most convenient manner, and tl)c necessary pass-
ports granted for that ptirpusc.

XIII.

" These articles are to be mutually signed and ex-
changed to-morrow morning at 9 o'clock, and tlie troops
under Lieutenant-general Burgoyne are to nmn h out of
their entrenchments at three o'clock in the afternoon.
(Signed) " HCiRATIO GATES, Major-general,
(Signed) « J. BURGOYNE, Lieiitmant-gentraL
a Saratoga, Oct. 16th, 1777."

« To prevent any doubts that miglit arise from Lieu-
tenant-general Burgoyne's name not being mentioned in
the above treaty. Major-general Gates hereby declares,
that he is understood to be comprehended in it, as fully
as if his name had been specifically mentioned.

« HORATIO GATES."
See Return [F].

Thus terminated a negociation which prostrated the
power of the enemy in the north, disconcerted a danger-
ous project, and distracted his future operations. It in-
vigorated the national spirit, retrieved disasters in the
south, and encouraged the public councils to resist the
insidious plans of the British cabinet, to disunite the Ame-
rican people and disarm opposition. This signal event,
though first in eclat, was secondary in its consequences,
to the glorious achievement at Trenton; I take the distinc-
tion, that in the latter case we were contending for life,
with a handful of troops opposed to an host ; and in the
former we were defending property with an overwhelm-
ing force. Impartial posterity will determine, what were

GENERAL WILKINSON. 321

my humble merits in these important transactions; and it CEIAP.
wouhl be a gratification to know, what mighty space qfpnblic ^*"'
utility was occupied by President Madison in those eventful
days.

Early on the morning of the 17th, I visited General
Burgoyne in his camp, and accompanied him to the
ground where his army was to lay down their arms, from
whence we rode to the bank of the Hudson's river, which
he surveyed with attention, and asked me whether it was
not fordablc. Certainly Sir, but do you observe the people
on the opposite shore ? Yes, replied he, <' I have seen them
too long."

He then proposed to be introduced to General Gates, Meeting
and we crossed the Fishkill and proceeded towards his n^enera?
head quarters, General Burgoyne in front with hi^ adju- Burgoyne
tant-general, Kingston, and his aides-de-camp Captain r^i Gates'
Lord Petersham* and Lieutenant Wilfordf beliind him,
then followed Major-general Phillips, the Baron Reide-
sel and the other general officers and their suites accord-
ing to rank. Generati Gates advised of Burgoyne's ap-
proach met him at the head of his camp, Burgoyne in a
rich royal uniform, and Gates in a plain blue frock, when
they had approached nearly within sword's length they
reined up and halted, I then named the gentlemen and
General Burgoyne raising his hat most gracefully said,
" The fortune of war, General Gates, has made me your
prisoner," to which the conqueror, returning a courtly
salute, promptly replied, " I shall always be ready to
bear testimony that it has not been througii any fault of
your excellency.":}: Major-general Piiillips then ad-

* Now Lieutenant-general tliR Earl of Harrington, Colonel of the
1st regiment of Life Guards, and Governor of Windsor Castle.

f Now Lieutenant-general and Colonel of the 7th regiment of Dra-
goon Guards.

i Very different was tlie conduct of Charles V. to the Elector of
Saxony, after the affair of Muhlberg, in which he was made prisoner ;
approaching the Emperor, the unfortunate Prince addressed him,
*' The fortune of war has made me your prisoner, most gracious Em-
peror, and I hope to be treated — " here Charles harshly interrupted
him, " and am I then at last acknowledged to be Emperor ? Charles
VOL. I. S S

P

^^

MEMOIRS BY

CHAP.
VIII.

vanced, and he and General Gates saluted and shook
hands with the familiarity of old acquaintances. The
Baron Reidesel and the other officers were introdoced in
their turn, and as soon as the ceremony was concluded, I
left the party and returned to the British camp, to esta-
blish guards, take an account of the ordnance and give
orders for the march of the prisoners.

Of the returns* exhihited in this place, the first will
shew the wlwle train of artillery which accompanied the
British army, excepting four light pieces taken at Ben-
nington, and will serve to contradict the malicious fahri-
cations invented on that suhject, and framed to prejudice
General Burgoyne's character ; and the other is a testi-
monial that although conquered, the British army fought
gallantly , bled profusely, and fell covered with honour. The
tinprecedcnted disproportion in killed and wounded of their
officers and privates, must be accounted for on the superior
marksmanship of the yeomanry of the country, who had
been accustomed to the use of arms from early youth, and not

6f Ghent was the only title, you lately bestowed on me. You shall he
treated as you deserve." And turned from him abruptly with an
haughty air.

* RETURJN" of Ordnance and Stores taken from the enemy, Oct. 7th
and V7th, 1777.

CANNON.

Brass
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.

12

6

24

12

6

pounder,
do.
do.
do.
do.
do.

Royal howitzers,
Bight inch howitzers,

Total of ordnance.

> Taken 7th October, near Stillwater.

^

)-Taken October 17th, at Saratoga.

JV". B. Implements and stores complete for the pieces ; particulars
not ascertained for want of time ; five thousand stand of arms are
taken, and a great quantity of musket cartridges and a number of am-
munition wagons, travelling forges, 8cc.

EBENEZER STEPHENS, Major,

Commanding U. S. Artillery.

GENERAL WILKINSON.

823

yet sufficiently drilled to have lost the faculties of volition. ciiAP.
And Morgan's corps then and Forsyth's in the late war ^'"•
demonstrate that in mountainous countries and close
grounds, the citizens of the United States in their natural
condition, under strict government, and led by brave and
intelligent officers arc uioi-c destructive when op])((Scd to
military machinery, and tactical evolutions, tlian any
other species of troops.

The strong excitements produced by the important vvilkinso.n
scenes in which I had been engaged, and the constitu- sick and
tionul energies supported by the interests which those proceeds
scenes had inspired now failed me ; I was no longer able ° *''^'
to keep my seat on horseback, and placed on a bed in a
wagon by the side of Colonel Philip Van Courtland, of
the New York troops, wlio was reduced to a similar state
of debility; we were conveyed to Albany, where I had
nearly expired the ensuing night under the anguish of a
convulsive cholic. In this enfeebled condition, with a
surgeon of the hospital, Doctor Hagan, to accompany
me, I was despatched on the 20th* with the convention

Regulars killed, wounded, and prisoners in the Campaign 1777^.

•<

o

c

3
CL

n

o

3

a

-J

V

o

^ rOfficeis,
2 / Seri^eants,
C 1 Drummers,
^ LRank and File,
» I^Officers,
§ J Sergeants,
~ 1 Drummers,
O L.Riif>k; and File,

Apfrreprate,

26

15

3

207

10

12

1

141

415

47

S3

5

549

16

28

8

225

911

IP

14

6

449

29

59

18

575

1169

92
62
14
1205
55
99
2?
941

2495

Purgoyne's State of the expedition from Canada. Appendix No. IF.

* GENERAL ORDERS.

" ^Ibajii', 20ih Od. 1777.
"Major John Armstrong to do the duty of deputy adjutant-genc-
pal until Colonel Wilkinson returns to camp. The brigade majors
are to attend at head quarters every morning at 11 o'clock and every
evening at 7 for general orders."

I

33'fc MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, and the following letter to the President of Congress ; at
^^^^' the same time Major-general Schuyler favoured me with
the most flattering credentials, to his friends in that ho-
nourable body.

« Camp Saratoga, iSth Oct. 1777.
« Sir,

"I have the satisfaction to present your excellency
with the convention of Saratoga, by which his excellency
Lieutenant-general Burgoyne has surrendered himself
and his whole army into my hands, and they are now
upon their march for Boston ; this signal and important
event is the more glorious^ as it rvas effected with so little
loss to the army of the United States.

*« This letter will be presented to your excellency by
my adjutant-general. Colonel Wilkinson, to whom I must
beg leave to refer your excellency for the particulars that
brought this great business to so happy and fortunate a
conclusion.

« I desire to be permitted to recommend this gallant
officer, in the warmest manner, to Congress; and intreat
that he may be continued in his present office with the
brevet of a brigadier-general.

<* The honourable Congress will believe me when I
assure them, that from the beginning of this contest I
have (not) met with a more promising military genius
than Colonel Wilkinson, and whose services have been of
the last importance to this army.

t( I have the honour to be,

« Your excellency's most obedient
« And humble servant,

« HORATIO GATES.
« His Excellency John Hancock, esq.
President of Congress."

This letter is most particularly worthy of remark, in-
asmuch as it measures the importance of the triumph, by
the cheapness with which it was purchased j but in the
reign of President Madison, a bloodless victory is no

GENERAL WILKINSON. 335

compliment to the victor, whilst a bloody defeat is consi- chap.
dered the consummation of generalship ; and by a very ,^^.^.
natural transition, the odious cowardice at Bladensburg, j„ ^^^■^^
has secured the ascriptions of military excellence to mei*e !>tate, ac-
auimal courage. I'he first days and nights of my jour- by"I^9*ur.
ney were painful in the extreme, but moderate exercise geon, is

1 1 « •• w dcspatcii-

and change of climate gave me strength, yet I was ex- edtoCon-
tremely sensible to fatigue. The third day I passed the ej'tss with
ruins of Esopus, (Kingston) which had been recently vention.
burnt by General Vaughan,* and at Hurly I found Go- ^^^J!'^^'^"
vernor Clinton, Colonel Lamb and other officers, with on his
the honourable G. Morris, whose zeal and patriotism in J''"'""'^^'
those days of trial were conspicuous ; for I remember he
had visited the army at Fort Edward, in the most gloomy
stage of the campaign, and mingled in the councils of
General Schuyler when his country had deserted him.

Governor Clinton, with his characteristic activity, per-
severance and decision, had been, (subsequently to the loss
of Fort Montgomery, from whence, after combating the
enemy " cnse manUf'* I understand he escaped by leap-
ing down a precipice,) incessantly engaged in raising a
force to cover the country on the west of the Hudson's
river, against the depredations of the enemy j but, hiiher-

. * " Mbtmtj, 19th October, 1777.

y Sir,

" With unexampled cruelty you have reduced the fine village of
Kingston to ashes, and most of the wretched inhabitants to ruin ; 1
am informed you also continue to ravage and burn all before you on
both sides of the river. Is it thus your king's generals tbink to make
converts to the royal cause ? It is no less surprising than true that the
measures they adopt to serve their mastei', have the quite contrary
effect. Tlieir cruelty, estabhsjied the glorious act of independence,
upon the broad basis of the general resentments of the people.

" Abler generals and much older officers than you can pretend to
be, are now by the fortune of war, in my hands ; their fortune may
one day be yours, when Sir, it may not be in the power of any thing
human, to save you from the just revenge of an injured people.
" 1 am. Sir,

" Your most obed't. humble serv't
" IIORATIO GATES.
" The Hon. John Vaughan, Mojor-ffeneral."

326 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP to his efforts had proved unavailing, though his vigilance
^^^ and exertions were unceasing. His correspondence with
General Gates, which I shall here insert, will unfold
some incidents not unworthy note, and will bear testimo-
ny to the energy and discernment of this distinguished
patriot.

« J^ew Windsor, Oct, 9th, ±777.
" Dear General,

«» Immediately after our late misfortunes at Fort Mont-
gomery, I wrote the legislature of this state the particu-
lars, requesting them witliout delay to forward them to
you. My hurry at that time and since prevented my an-
swering your favour of the 4th instant till now, since
which the enemy have taken possession of Fort Consti-
tution, and are at this time not far below the chevaux de
frize. My guards fell in with and took two spies from
General Clinton going to Burgoyne; one of them con-
fessed that his orders were to make all possible despatch,
to inform General Burgoyne that he had got Fort Mont-
gomery, the key of Amenca^ and was preparing to weigh
the chevaux de frize; and that he CBurgoyne) might pro-
ceed, as all obstacles in the river were removed; he fur-
ther says that Clinton is determined to push up the river
to relieve Burgoyne from his present difficulty. The en-
closed confession of Taylor will give you some idea of
their past manoeuvres and future intentions. If I have
been rightly informed, your array is now so numerous,
that you can with safety order a part to establish a post
at or on this side of Albany; in that case, if they move
up, General Putnam, who is collecting a large body of
Connecticut militia on the opposite shore, will be able to
join them. I shall endeavour to keep between them and
your army with two continental regiments and some mi-
litia, and hope by this means to prevent their reaching
Albany; indeed I am sure it can be done, provided you
establish a post on this side for us to retire to. I cannot
at present ascertain the number lost at Fort Montgo-
mery. My brother General Clinton, (who received a

GENERAL WILKINSON. 327

wound in liis thigh) with a number of other officers, to- CfiAP.

getljcr with two hundred of Dcboise's reajiment, made
their escape after the eimtiy were in possession of the fort^
and have come in safe. We have just received intelli-
gence, that General Washington attacked the enemy last
Saturday on Chesnut hill, near Philadelphia, defeated
and drove tlicm througii Germantovvn ; night coming on,
he withdrew, and renewed the attack early on Sunday
morning, and had gained the victory. We have yet re-
ceived no authenticated accounts of the action. Colonel
Lamb, and most of the officers and men who were with
me at the fort, have also escaped.

" I am, dear Sir, with great regard,

« Your most obedient servant,
« GEO. CLINTON.
«< Major-general Gates."

T^ie Confession of Daniel Taylor (a Spy) at Mw Windsor,
Thursday y Oct. 9th, 1777.

*< I left Fort Montgomery yesterday evening, w ith a
charge from Sir Henry Clinton, to go with all possible
despatch through the country on the west side of Hud-
son's river to General Burgoyne, and acquaint him, that
on Monday the 6th inst. he stormed and carried the fort,
■with the loss of Lieutenant-colonel Grant, Major Camp-
bell, Major Sela and other field officers, a number of
other officers whose names he does not recollect, and up-
wards of three hundred rank and IBle killed, and to ac-
quaint General Burgoyne that the obstructions in the
river are now nearly removed, and that he might move
forward as fast as he pleased; that General Howe had
defeated the rebels near Philadelphia, and that the two
frigates belonging to the rebels in Hudson's river were
both burnt; a Captain Canipbcll of Burgoyne's array,
lately arrived with despatches to General Clinton, and
set off on his return yesterday morning, with the news
of the reduction of Fort Montgomery, and that a number

VIII.

328 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, of people are employed who go constantly from one army
^^^^^^.„^^ to tlie other, and that Lieutenant-general Clinton intend-
ed to push up the river."

«JVew Windsor, Oct. ±ith, 1777.
« Dear General,

« In my letter of the 9th inst. I informed you of a spy
we had taken, after which I was given to understand he
had swallowed the letter which he had in charge from
Clinton to Burgoyne. I immediately ordered him a se-
vere dose of tartar emetic, and last night brought from
him a small silver bullet. In the hollow of it was a letter;
the copy I now inclose, by which you may see that Clin-
ton is by no means confident of a junction.

" The success of our arms nnder your command has
just arrived, on which I most heartily congratulate you,
and with you lament the misfortunes of Generals Arnold
and Lincoln. I am daily gathering strength at this post,
and cannot but hope, that if General Clinton should at-
tempt Albany, it will end much to our advantage. Ge-
neral Washington has been very successful to the south-
ward.

<« In haste, and with esteem,
« I am, dear General,

«< Your obedient humble servant,
"GEO. CLINTON.

« P.S. Be pleased to make my kindest compliments to
Generals Lincoln and Arnold.

^' Major-general Gates.''*

(copy.)

« FoH Montgomery, Oct. 8th, ±777.

« Nous y voici, and nothing now between us but

Gates. I sincerely hope this little success of ours

may facilitate your operations. In answer to your letter

of the 20th Sept. by C. C, I shall only say I cannot pre-

I

GENERAL WILKINSON. B29

slime to order or even advise, for reasons obvious. I chap.
heartily wish you success. ^'"

« Faithfully yours,

« H. CL1NT0N.'»

*( Hurley, 2| miles from Kingstorif Oct. 21s?, 1777.
" Dear Sir,

" I have repeatedly done myself the honour to inform
you of my situation, and think it my duty again to <Io so,
tliat if any of those consequences should liappen which
may now be easily foreseen, the blame, if any, may not
lie at my door.

** When I undertook, at the request of General Put-
nam, to put myself at the head of a body of men to pro-
tect the western shores of Hudson's river, and to throw
myself between the enemy and your army should they
proceed up the river, I represented to him in stroni^ terms
the situation of this part of the country, thinly inhabited,
and the interior part, unsettled and separated from all
assistance, by a chain of mountains ; in consequence of
which representation he agreed to let me have three thou-
sand men of the eastern militia, should they come in as
he expected they would, of which number, however, he
hath not sent me four hundred. I then clearly saw, that
it would be impossible for me to protect the country, un-
less 1 could be reinforced from tlie northern army, which
from your letter I had reason to expect. I wrote also to
General Dickenson of New Jersey upon the same sub-
ject, and I am informed, tliat notwithstanding the ex-
posed situation of his own state, he has ordered six hun-
dred men to my brother's assistance at New Windsor.
Kingston has been destroyed, merely because I have been
so deceived in my expectations of assistance, that it was
impossible to take measures for its sccuiity. I am now
Sir, at the head of little more than one thousand men, to
cover the most valuable part of the county of Ulster.

« The enemy have lain still yesterday and the day be-
fore, witli a strong southerly wind, from wiience it is cvi-
dent that a knowledge of Burgoyne's fate hath chan2;ed
VOL. I. T t

330 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, their intentions against Albany. If they land in force, I
must cither retreat or sacrifice my few men, and lose
seven very valuable pieces of field artillery. If I retreat,
this whole country will be ravaged and destroyed, and
that at a season of the year when the inhabitants, who
are warmly attached to the American cause, will want
time to provide cover for their families against the incle-
mencies of the ensuing winter. While we act merely on
the defensive, two thousand men on the river will find
full employment for twelve or fifteen hundred 5 but if
four thousand are left to cover Albany, two thousand
here, and two thousand on tlie other side of the river, it
w ill be by no means impracticable to recover the passes in
the highlands; in which case the greater part of the army,
now along the banks of the river, may be brought to act
ofFensively against the enemy, and perhaps render the
present campaign decisive in our favour.

" Colonel Malcolm, who is the bearer of this letter,
will do himself the honour of stating and explaining to
you my ideas upon this subject, and you will do me a par-
ticular favour, if in answer to this, you will inform me,
what I am to expect, and what is expected from me.
« I am, dear GencraJ,

« With particular esteem,

" Your most ob't serv't.

« GEO. CLINTON.

" To the Hon. Major-general Gates — Jllbany."

On the 24th I reached Easton where I rested the 25th;
at this place I fell in with Doctor William Shippcn, the
director-general of military hospitals, whose anatomical
lectures I had attended in the years 177.4-5, and with
whom I had since become intimate; in the course of con-
versation with this gentleman and Mrs. , a most

respectable lady, still living in Philadclpliia, I was asked
whether I had seen Gen. Conway's letter to Gen. Gates,
in whicli he assigned tliii-tccn reasons for the loss of the
battle of Brandywino ? I iiad perused this letter, and heard
Gen. Gates read and comment on it, in the presence of

GENERAL WILKINSON. 331

several officers of the army, but tbouglit nothing more of chap.
it until I was thus questioned; nnr did it then occur to ^"'
me as a matter of importance. I arrived at Reading the ^n-jves at
evening of the 27th, and was visited by General MilQin, Ueadinp,
with whom I had been acquainted at the siege of Boston, interview
be invited me to take tea with him, and I found two cast- ^^'tl' ^-e-
crn members of Congress at his house ; I was minutely fl^n
questioned by them, respecting the military operations
in the north. General Washington's misfortunes were
strictured severely by them, an ' General Conway's cri-
ticisms were again mentioned. General Mifflin appear-
ed exceedingly despondent, and observed that he consi-
dered the insurance of buildings at Reading against the
depredations of the enemy worthy reflection ; tliis even-
ing it began to rain, and the next day it fell in torrents;
Lord Sterling was confined at this village, in cfuisequoncc
of a fall from his horse, and being myself detained by the
weather, for I dared not ride in the rain, I consented at
his earnest request to take a pot luck dinner with him,
and was happy to meet my friend Major Monroe* in
capacity of aid-de-camp to his Lordship; with a noble
deportment and dignified manners, Lord Sterling com-
bined sound education and respectable talents. I speak
of his foibles with reluctance, for he was an officer of
conspicuous gallantry ; his addictions were notorious and
his fondness for a long set not the least remarkable, for
no man could be more strongly disposed to fight his bat-
tics over again. The Earl had another aid-de-camp by
the name of M'Williams, whom I had never seen before.
We dined agreeably and I did not get away from" his
lordship before midnight, the rain continuing to pour
down without intermission. In the course of the day, his
lordship fought over the battle of Long Island in detail,
and favoured mc with recitals of all the affairs in which
he had subsequently performed a part, and 1 reciprocated
information of such transactions in the north as could in-
terest or amuse him. The conversation was too copious
and diflfusc for me to have charged my memory with par-

* Now SecretRfXpf State.

ji

33^ MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, ticulars, and from the circumstances of it, it was confi-

Wilkinson During the night, the Schuylkill had overflowed its
arrives at banks, and swept away all the scows from the neighbour-
aS deu!' Jng ferries ; I therefore found it impracticable to cross the
vers his river until the 30th, and arrived at York-town the seat
patches, of the Congress the next day ; but Mr. Hancock had re-
signed the presidency, and the secretary, Mr. Charles
Thompson, was by a resolution of Congress officiating as
president ; I therefore had the satisfaction to deliver my
public despatches to that respectable citizen and exem-
plary patriot, and by an order of Congress attended that
honourable body, where I was received with kindness
and treated with indulgence. After having answered
sundry questions respecting the relative situation of the
two armies before, at and after the convention, the bear-
ing of which in some instances tended to depreciate its
importance ; [ observed, that I had in charge sundry
papers to be submitted to Congress, which required time
for their arrangement, and thereupon I was permitted to
withdraw.
Perceives In the course of this audience, I thought I perceived a
tion in disposition in two or three gentlemen to derogate from Gen.

certain Gates's triumph. I had been questioned as to the prac-
inembers . , ... ^ i • t. .

todepre- ticabihty ot making Burgoyne's army prisoners of war,
ciate the ^nd had heard it observed, that it would have been better

capture ot

Burgoyne. for the United States if that army had escaped to Cana-
da, where it would have been out of the w ay ; whereas
the convention would merely serve to transfer it to Sir
William Howe, and bring Burgoyne's whole force im-
mediately into operation against us on the Atlantic coast.
As unreasonable as these exceptions were, they merited
consideration, and I determined to exercise the authority
General Gates had given me, and meet them by a mes-
sage to be prepared for Congress, in his name. I con-
sulted two of his friends, Messrs, Samuel Adams and
James Lovell, on the subject, to whom I had letters, who
commended the plan, and I made a draft which they en-
tirely approved.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 333

Having prepared and arranged the documents prelimi- Cf!AP
nary to the convention, with returns of the two armies, ^'"•
and of the ordnance and stores captured, I was a^ain in- ,

r ' o Is apain

troduced to Congress on the afternoon of the Sd, by Mr. intro-
Thompson, Mr. Henry Laurens having been chosen the Qoptrel^.
president, and delivered to that body a message from
General Gates in the following words.

In Congress, JVor. 3(1, 1777 — 4 o'clock, P. M.

«< According to order Colonel Wilkinson attended, and
delivered a message from General Gates in the following
words.

" I have it in charge from Major-general Gates to re-
present to the honourable the Congress, that Lientenant-
gencral Burgoyne at the time he capitulated was strongly
intrenched in a formidable post, with twelve day's provi-
sion 5 that the reduction of Fort Montgomery, and the
enemy's consequent progress up the Hudson's river, en-
dangered our arsenal at Albany j a reflection which left
General Gates no time to contest the capitulation with
General Burgoyne, but induced the necessity of imme-
diately closing with his proposals, hazarding a disadvan-
tageous attack, or retiring from his position for the se-
curity of our magazine. This delicate situation abridged
our conquest, and procured Lieutenant-general Bur-
goyne the terms he enjoys. Had our attack been car-
ried against General Burgoyne, the dismemberment of
our army must necessarily have been such as would have
incapacitated it from further action. With an army in
health, vigour and spirits. Major-general Gates now^
waits the commands of the honourable Congress.

*< Colonel Wilkinson then laid before Congi*ess sun-
dry original papers relative to the convention, which
were read ; viz.

« 1st — A message from Lieutenant-general Burgoyne
to Major-general Gates, with General Gates's answer of
the 13th of October, ±777.

33* MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. t( 2d. — A message from Lieutenant-general Burgoyne
^"*- the 14th of October.

a sd. — Another message accompanying the former.

i( 4th.' — General Gates's proposals to Lieutenant-gene-
ral Burgoyne, with General-Burgoyne's answers.

** 5th A message from Lieutenant-general Burgoyne

to General Gates.

" 6th. — General Burgoyne's proposals, and General
Gates's answers.

« 7th. — Message from Lieutenant-general Burgoyne
to General Gates, Oct. 15th.

** 8th. — Another message from General Burgoyne to
General Gates, Oct. 16th.

« 9th. — Message from General Gates to General Bur-
goyne.

« 10th. — Return of General Burgoyne's army which
surrendered.

" 11th. — Return of ordnance, &c. taken and surren-
dered.

«' 12th. — Articles of convention.

« IStli. — General Gates's explanation to include Ge-
neral Burgoyne in the convention."

> I then described minutely the strong ground occupied

by General Burgoyne, and the true state of our own
force, whicli depended chiefly on volunteer militia, and
fluctuated from day to day ; for it is a fact that the state
of the continental troops varied little from the return of
the 4th of October, which was the last I recollect to iiave
received, and in truth another was not due until the 1st
of November, though it was in the power of the general
to order one at his discretion j the impatience of the yeo-
manry to return home was demonstrated by those who
were met by Burgoyne's spy on the night of the 15th,
and numbers on the east side of the river retired on the
16th and 17th, before and after it was ascertained that
the enemy was to surrender, but anterior to the consum-
mation of the event ', however, no argument can be fairly

GENERAL WILKINSON. 335

deduced from these facts, to affect the constancy of the ciiAP.
militia, that bulwark of the constitution, the freedom and ^J!^^!^.
the independence of the nation ; for these men, consisting (jo„duct
of all ranks and aces, had come forth withowt contract of the mi-

. „ . . -Ill litiahigh-

or engagement, on the spur of the occasion, provided only ly praise-
for a week, and had continued in service a fortnight; wortiiy.
and I remember well to have seen among them one of the
oldest and most faitliful supporters of the revolution, the
venerable and inllcxible patriot John Langdon : if these
same men had been drafted or classed for three or four
months, their services might have been confidently relied
on, and it is a truth not to be denied, that the disrepute
and odium contrived to be thrown on the militia, may be
honestly ascribed to the ignorance, apathy and improvi-
dence of the general government. It would seem that we Rcfl«c-
covet blessings which we are unwilling to pay for; but, ^'°"* °"
at the same time, to save the trouble of inquiry and re- sent mode
flection, with heedless heads and lavish hands, we foUow °''^^'^'^*^*'
the example of tlie old world, and dissipate millions for
exterior defence, on institutions which, in process of time,
must infalliby destroy the balance of power; and by iii-
c\*easing the patronage and influence of the executive de-
partment, will enable that branch of the government in-
sensibly to subvert the principles of the constitution, and
swallow up the liberties of the people. To avert these
evils, the citizens of the United States should spare no
pains or expense, to organise and equip themselves for
sclf-defciice i fill your country with arms and munitions
of war, my countrymen ; deposit them in suitable maga-
zines, conveniently established throughout the national
limits, and iiavc them carefully preserved for service ;
fortify your ports, harbours, commanding defiles, and
critical passes, with durable works, judiciously construct-
ed and competently endowed : and then, with an ocean of
tljree thousand miles between you and the European
states, no power on earth can be tempted to invade your
borders ; because of the enormous expense, and tlie ini
possibility of acquiring any permanent advantage, over an
armed and a brave people, far removed from ovory trans-

336

MEMOIRS BY

CHAP.

vni.

atlantic resource. Thus the means of Safety and of hap-
piness are as obvious, as the insidious measures of Presi-
dent Madison have been corrupt, dangerous and destruc-
tive. The reader will pardon this digression, which
springs out of my solicitude to preserve unimpaired, the
glorious fabric established on the best blood of the Ame-
rican people.

Having submitted my report and explanations to the
national representatives, I requested that the original
documents might be restored to me, after they had been
copied ; an order was made to that eifect, they were re-
turned, and have remained in my possession ever since.

The day after I had thus faithfully acquitted myself to
my general, I sat down and advised him of ray proceed-
ings in a letter which I shall expose, although written in
haste, and conveying the effusions of a youthful-, ardent>
and affectionate heart.

Wilkin-
son's let-
ter to
General
Gates,
Nov. 4,
1777.

« York-toxvn, Mv. i>th, 1777.
<« My dear General and loved Friend,

« I arrived at this place on the Slst ultimo. A confir-
mation of the convention amply compensated, for the
anxiety which a want of earlier intelligence had occa-
sioned the Congress. I was immediately called before
Congress, and after answering a few general questions,
informed them, that I had a message from you, with a
number of papers prefatory to the convention, to lay be-
fore the honourable house, an arrangement of which
would take up a day or two ; I therefore begged a sus*-
pension of any further examination, until I had reduced
these matters to proper order, which was granted, and I
withdrew.

« I found the chair vacated by the resignation of Mr.
Hancock, and that seat of honour was conferred on Co-
lonel Laurens of South Carolina, who, to be short, is a
gentleman of judgment and liberality.

♦« Through the industry of your friends, whom you had
indulged with copies, the articles of treaty (with their
diabolical comments, I suppose,) reached the grand army

GENERAL WILKINSON. 337

before I did the Congress. The predetermined, readily chap.
disapproved, und induced the ignorant to condemn tliem; ^ '"'
a clamour has ensued, \vhicl» must, however, he short
lived. Before I proceed further, permit me to intreat
you, never in future to suffer copies to he taken, or even
indiscriminately to suffer persons to inspect your public
or private papers ; for believe me, my dear Sir, it gives
your enemies great advantages over you. In this in-
stance, copies of the convention, accompanied by the idea
of General Burgoyne's being entirely in your power be-
fore he surrendered, with a total suppression of every
circumstance which tended to explain your critical situa-
tion, preceded your despatches, and unfavourable impres-
sions are received; prejudices are inculcated by the ma-
licious, which might have reached and contaminated
Congress; and there is such a bias in the minds of men
w hen prejudiced, that it affects their actions unknown to
themselves. Excuse me, had I loved you less, I sliould
have been less free.

*< On the 3d instant (yesterday,) I had the honour to
read to Congress the inclosed papei-s, and presented the
returns, taking care to recapitulate every collateral cir-
cumstance necessary to explain your real situation, and
if this well meant procedure meets with your approba-
tion, I shall be happy.

" Beware of Arnold ; he has endeavoured to stab you.
I met Bob* at this place; he is in health, so is Mra.
Gates. As Congress have determined to push military
operations this winter, I took the liberty of suggesting
to your lady the propriety of continuing on the farm, till
she hears further from you.f

<( The dissensions, the jealousies, calumnies, and de-
tractions which pervade a certain quarter, must be re-
served for some other opportunity, 1 am often asked the

* His son and only child.

] By this honest intention 1 incurred the displeasure of this lady,
who lived and died my enemy.

VOL. I. U U

338 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, cause of your not writing to General Washington ; so
^^^^' that this omission has been noticed publicly.

" I shall leave this on Sunday, go by Reading to the
grand army, continue there a week ; from thence move
to Easton, the present residence of my beloved, where I
wish to hear from you as soon as possible : address any
letter to me, to the care of Colonel Hooper of that
town.

« I am not as yet honoured with any mark of distinc-
tion from Congress ; indeed, should I receive no testimo-
ny of their approbation of my conduct, I shall not be
mortified; — my hearty contempt of the follies of this
world, will shield me from such pitiful sensations.
« I am, my dear General,

« Your affectionate friend,

« JA. WILKINSON.
<f Major-general Gates,

Commanding the JK'orihern Departments*

Wilkinson Qn the 6th of November, Congress honoured me with

receives r*i

the brevet the brevet of a brigadier-general, and a day or two after
of briga- J |eft York-town, to pay my respects to the commander
pal. in chief, to receive his orders and embrace my numerous

military friends and acquaintance. I took Reading in my
route, and passed some days in that place, where I had
Character several dear and respected friends, and among tl>em Ect-
Buldle^ ward Biddle, esq.* a man whose public atid private virtues
esquire, commanded respect and excited admiration from all per-

• I shall here submit to the reader an anecdote of this gentleman,
as honourable to him as a man, as it was creditable to him as a mam-
ber of that learned and honourable profession of which he was so
great an ornament. Mr. Biddle had been specially retained to defend
a cause in the state of Delaware, and had received as his retaining fee
twenty half joes, an extravagant sum in those days. After listening
some time to the arguments and proofs on the opposite side, he
was so convinced of the unprincipled conduct of his client, that he
left the court, and returned the fee, telling him to find another ad-
vocate, as he could not for any considsration consent to become an
instrument of injustice.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 389

sons : he was speaker of the last assembly of Pennsylva- chap.
nia, under the proprietory jjovcrnment, and in the dawn ^ '"•
of the revolution devoted himself to the cause of his coun- ^'^"^''^^^
try, and successfully opposed (he overbrarinj; influence
of Joseph Galloway : ardent, eloquent, and full of zeal,
by his exertions, during several days and nights of obsti-
nate, warm and animated discussion, in extreme sultry
weather, he overheated himself, and brought on an in-
flammatory rheumatism and a surfeit, which radically
destroyed his health, and ultimately deprived society of
one of its greatest ornaments, and his country of a states-
man, a patriot and a soldier ; for he had served several
campaigns in the war of 1756, and if his health had been
spared, would no doubt have occupied the second or third
place in the revolutionary armies. I had another ac-
quaintance in Reading, a contemj)orary whose indepen-
dence of sentiment and manly deportment, had attracted
my attention and engaged my esteem during my resi-
dence in Philadelphia; but exclusive of his personal me-
rits, a congeniality of feeling and parity of predicament,
as it regarded a passion which above all others most inte-
rests the youthful heart, had produced a confidential inti-
macy, the recollection of which at this distant day awakens
the sweetest sensibilities of my bosom ; and 1 know not
whether I compliment the living or the dead, when I declare
that I have rarely met with a man of more refined honour,
a more feeling heart, or more polished manners than Alex- and Alex-
andcr Graydon, esq.j and from this gentleman, during craydon
my visit at Reading, I again heard that General Con-
way had expressed himself freely and publicly of Gene-
ral Washington's unfitness for command.

I proceeded from Reading to the camp of the grand Wilkinson
army at White Marsh, where I was received and treated ^'p'a',' j
with kindness and attention by the commander in chief, army,
who made various inquiries of me respecting the northei-n Reception
cam})aign, the conduct of individuals and the operations ■vv.Sh^ng*
of the two armies, and most especially and earnestly of ton
the movement of the troops, on which subject I could

neral Con-
way,

340 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, give hira no satisfaction; whilst at this camp I wjis visit-
^^"- ed by General Conway, a stranger, with whom I never
J . spoke before or since : he took me aside and inquired whe-
with Ge- ther I had seen a letter of his to General Gates, contain-
ing certain expressions relative to General Washington's
military conduct; he stated the expressions to me and in-
formed me that General Washington had charged him with
having made use of expressions derogatory to his profes-
sional character. I recollected the letter, but I did not think
the language accorded with that then expressed to me, by
General Conway, and I answered him to that effect; little
suspecting that I was to be implicated in the affair. After
this explanation. General Conway remarked, that he
surely had a right to give his private opinion of any offi-
cer's conduct, and informed me that he had justified the
sentiments imputed to him ; and there our conversation
ended.

I shall close this chapter with a continuation of the in-
teresting narrative of the Baroness of Reidesel, which
will convey to my readers a faint but correct view, of the
disgusting scenes and the horrors of war.

JVarrative of the Baroness of Reidesel continued.

Narrative t( As soon as the funeral service was finished and the
roness of S^^'^^ "f General Frascr was closed, an order was issued
Reidesel. that the army should retreat. My calash was prepared,
but I would not consent to go before the troops. Major
Harnage, although suffering from his wounds, crept from
his bed as he did not wish to remain in the hospital,
which was left with a flag of truce. When General Rei-
desel saw me in the midst of danger, he ordered my wo-
men and children to be brought into the calash, and inti-
mated to me, to depart without delay. I still prayed to re-
main, but my husband knowing my weak side, said,
« well then your children must go, that at least they may
be safe from danger." I then agreed to enter the calash
with them, and we set off at 8 o'clock.

GENERAL >VILKINSON. 34I

"The retreat was ordered to be conducted witli the chap.
greatest silence, many fires were lighted and several ^"'•
tents left standing; we travelled continually during the
night. At 6o*clock in the morning we halted, which ex-
cited the surprise of all; General Burgoyne had the can-
non ranged and counted ; this delay seemed to displease
every body, for if we could only have made another good
march, we should have been in safety. My husband, quite
exhausted with fatigue, came into my calash and slept for
three hours ; during that time Captain Willoe brouglit
me a bag full of bank notes, and Captain Geismar his
elegant watch, a ring, and a purse full of money, which
they requested me to take care of, and which I ])romised to
do to the utmost of my power. We again marched, but
had scarcely proceeded an liour before we halted, as the
enemy was insight; it proved to be only a reconnoitring
party of 200 men, who might easily have been made pri-
soners, if General Burgoyne had given proper orders on
the occasion.

« The Indians had now lost their courage and were
departing for their homes ; these people appeared to droop
much under adversity, and especially wlien they had no
prospect of plunder. One of my waiting women was in
a state of despair which approached to madness, she
cursed and tore her hair, and when I attempted to reason
with her and to pacify her, she asked me if I was not
grieved at our situation, and upon my saying, « I was,"
she tore her cap off her head and let her hair drop over
her face, saying to me, « it is very easy for you to be
eomposed and talk, you have your husband with you, I
have none, and what remains to me but the prospect of
perishing or losing all I have ;" I again bade hev to take
comfort, and assured her I would make good whatever
she might happen to lose, and I made the same promise
to Ellen, my other waiting woman, who though filled
with apprehensions, made no complaints.

*< About evening we arrived at Saratoga ; my dress
was wet through and through with rain, and in that state
I had to remain the whole night, having no place to change

34S MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, it,* I liffwever got close to a large fire, and at last lay
^ "^" down on some straw. At this moment General Phillips
came up to me and 1 asked him why we had not conti-
nued our retreat, as my husband had promised to cover
it and bring the army through? "Poor dear woman,"
said he, <« I wonder how, drenched as you are, you have
the courage still to persevere and venture further in this
kind of weather; I wish," continued he, «» you was our
commanding general. General Burgoyne is tired and
means to halt here to-night and give us our supper."

On the morning of the 7th at 10 o'clock. General Bur-
goyne ordered the retreat to be continued, and caused the
handsome houses and mills of General Sciiuyler to be
burnt, we marched however but a short distance and
then halted. The greatest misery at this time prevailed
in the army, and more than thirty officers came to me, for
whom tea and coffee was prepared, and with whom I
shared all my provisions, with which my calash was in
general well supplied ; for I had a «ook, who was an ex-
cellent caterer, and who often in tlie night crossed sfnall
rivers and foraged on tiie inhabitants, bringing in with
him sheep, small pigs and poultry, for which he very
often forgot to pay, though he received good pay from me,
as long as I had any, and was ultimately handsomely re-
warded. Our provisions now failed us for want of pro-
per conduct in the commissary's department, and I began
to despair* About 2 o'clock in the afternoon we again
heard a firing of cannon and small arms, instantly all
was alarm and every thitig in motion. My husband told
me to go to a house not far off, I immediately seated my-
self in my calash with my children and drove off, but
scarcely had wc reached it, before I discovered five or six
armed men on the other side of the Hudson j instinctive-
ly I threw my children down in tiie calash and then con-
cealed myself with them; at that moment the fellows fired
and wounded an already wounded English soldier, who
was behind me; poor fellow I pitied him exceedingly but
at that moment liad no means or power to relieve him.
A terrible cannonade was commenced by the enemy

GENERAL WILKINSON. 318

which was directed against the liouse in which I sought chap.
to obtain shelter for myself and children^ under the mis- ^ '"
taken idea that all the Generals were in it. Alas, it con-
tained none but wounded, and women ; we were at last
obliged to resort to the cellar for refuge, and in one cor-
ner of this I remained the whole day, my children sleep-
ing on the earth with their heads in my lap, and in the
same situation I passed a sleepless night. Eleven cannon
balls passed through the house, and we could distinctly
hear them roll away. One poor soldier who was lying
on a table, for the purpose of having his leg atnputat-
ed, was struck by a shot which carried away his other :
his comrades had left him, and when we went to his assist-
ance we found him in a corner of the room, into which
he had crept more dead than alive, scarcely breathing. My
reflections on the danger to which my husband was expos-
ed now agonised me exceedingly, and the thoughts of my
children and tiie necessity of struggling for their preser-
vation alone sustained me.

« The ladies of the army who were with me were, Mrs.
Harnage, a Mrs. Kennels the widow of a Lieutenant who
was killed, and the lady of the commissary. Major Har-
nage, his wife, and Mrs. Kennels, made a little room in a
corner with curtains to it and wished to do the same for
me, but I preferred being near the door in case of fire.
Not far off my woman slept, and opposite to us three
English officers who though wounded were determined
not to be left behind ; one of them was Captain Green an
aid-de-camp to Major-general Phillips, a very valuable
officer and most agreeable man. They each made me a
most sacred promise not to leave me behind, and in case
of a sudden retreat, that they would each of them take
one of ray children on his horse, and for myself, one of
my husband's was in constant readiness.

*< Our cook, who I have before mentioned, procured
us our meals, but we were in want of water, and I was
often obliged to drink wine and to give it to my children.
Xt was the only thing my husband took, which made our
faithful hunter (Rockel) express one day his apprchen-

i

VIII.

344 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, sions, that " the General was weary of his life, or fear-
^ ful of being taken, as he drank so much wine." The
constant danger which my husband was in, kept me in a
state of wretchedness, and I asked myself if it was possi-
ble I should be the only happy one, and have my husband
spared to me unhurt, exposed as he was to so many pe-
rils. He never entered his tent, but laid down whole
nights by the watch fires, this alone was enough to have
killed him, the cold was so intense.

« The want of water distressed us much, at length we
found a soldier's wife, who had courage enough to fetch
us some from the river, an office nobody else would un-
dertake, as the Americans shot at every pei^on who ap-
proached it, but out of respect for her sex they never mo-
lested her.

« I now occupied myself through the day in attending
the wounded ; I made them tea and coffee and often shared
my dinner with them, for which they offered me a thou-
sand expressions of gratitude. One day a Canadian
officer came to our cellar, who had scarcely the power of
Iiolding himself upright, and we concluded he was dying
for want of nourishment ; I was happy in offering him my
dinner which strengthened him, and procured me his
friendship. I now undertook the care of Major Bloom-
field,* another aid-de-camp of General Phillips, he had
received a musket ball through both cheeks, which in its
course, had knocked out several of his teeth, and cut his
tongue, he could hold nothing in his mouth, the matter
which ran from his wound almost choaked him, and he
was not able to take any nourishment except a little soup
or something liquid ; we had some Rhenisli wine, and in
the hope that the acidity of it would cleanse his wound, I
gave him a bottle of it, he took a little now and then and
with such effect, that his cure soon followed ; thus I added
another to my stock of friends, and derived a satisfaction

* Now member of Parliament for Plymouth, major-general in the
army, lieutenant-colonel of tlie royal artillery, chief equerry and clerk
martial to the kin^.

GENIiRAL WILKINSON. 349

which in the midst of sufferings served to tranquilisc me cFf ap.
and diminish their acuteness. ^ '"•

** One day General Phillips accompanied my husband,
at the risk of their lives, on a visit to us, who, after having
witnessed our situation, said to him, " I would not for
10,000 guineas come again to this place, my heart is al-
most broken.**

*« In this horrid situation we remained six days, a ces-
sation of hostilities was now spoken of and eventually
took place j a convention was afterwards agreed upon, but
one day a message was sent to my husband, who had
visited me and was reposing in my bed, to attend a coun-
cil of war, where it was proposed to break the conven-
tion, but to my great joy, the majority was for adher-
ing to it ; on the 16th, however, my husband had
to repair to his post and I to my cellar j this day fresh
beef was served out to tlie officers, who until now had
only salt provision, which was very bad for their wounds.
The good woman who brought us water, made us an ex-
cellent soup of the meat, but I had lost my appetite and
took nothing but crusts of bread dipped in wine. The
wounded officers (my unfortunate companions) cut off the
best bit and presented it to me on a plate, I declined eat-
ing any thing, but they contended that it was necessary
for me to take nourishment, and declared they would not
touch a morsel, until I afforded them the pleasure of see-
ing me partake; I could no longer withstand their press-
ing invitations, accompanied as they were by assurances
of the happiness they had in offering me the first good
thing they had in their power, and I partook of a repast
rendered palatable by the kindness and good will of my
fellow-sufferers, forgetting for the moment the misery of
our apartment and the absence of almost every comfort.

« On the 17th October the convention was completed.
General Burgoync and the other generals waited on the
American general (Gates) ; the troops laid down their
arms, and gave themselves up prisoners of war! and now
the good woman who had supplied us with water at the
hazard of her life, received the reward of her services $

VOL. I. X X

346 MEMOmS BY

CHAP, eacli of us threw a handful of money into her apron, anti
^^'^' she got altogether about twenty guineas. At such a mo-
ment as this, how susceptible is the heart of feelings of
gratitude !

*« My husband sent a message to me to come over to
him with my children. I seated myself once more in my
dear calash, and then rode through the American camp.
As I passed on, I observed (and this was a great conso-
lation to me,) that no one eyed me with looks of resent-
ment, hut that they all greeted us, and even shewed com-
passion in their countenances, at the sight of a woman
with small children. I was, I confess, afraid to go over
to the enemy, as it was quite a new situation to me. When
I drew near the tents, a handsome man approached and
met me, took my children from the calasht and hugged and
kissed them, which affected me almost to tears. *' You
tremble," said he, addressing himself to me, " be not
afraid." <f No," I answered, " you seem so kind and
tender to my children, it inspires me with courage." He
now led me to the tent of General Gates, where I found
Generals Burgoyne and rhillips, who were on a friendly
footing with the former. Burgoyne said to me, " Never
mind, your sorrows have now an end." I answered
him that I should be reprehensible to have any cares, as
he had none; and I was pleased to se« him on such a
friendly footing with General Gates. All the generals
remained to dine with General Gates.

<« The same gentleman who received me so kindly, now
came and said to me, « You will be very much embar-
rassed to eat with all these gentlemen; Come with your
children to my tent, where I will prepare for you a frugal
dinnert and give it with a free wiM." I said, « You

ARE CERTAINLY A HUSBAND AND A FATHER, yoU luive

shewn me so much kindnessJ** I now found that he was
Generai. Schuyler. He treated me with excellent
smoked tongue, beef steaks, potatoes, and good bread
and butter! Never could 1 have wished to eat a better
dinner : I was content : I saw all around me were so
likewise; and what was better than all, my husband was

GENERAL WILKINSON.

347

out of danger! When we had dined, he told mc his resl- cn\P.
dence was at Albany, and that General Burgoyne in- ^ '"•
tended to honour him as his guest, and invited myself
and children to do so likewise. I asked my husband, how
I should act; he told me to accept the invitation. As it
was two days' journey there, he advised me to go to a
place which was about three hours ride distant. Ge-
neral Schuyler had the politeness to send with me a
French officer, a very agreeable man, who commanded
the reconnoitring party of which I have before spoken ;
and when he had escorted me to the house where I was
to remain, he turned back again. In the house I found
a French surgeon, who had under his care a Brunswick
officer, who was mortally wounded, and died some days
afterwards. The Frenchman boasted much of the care
he took of his patient, and perhaps was skilful enough as
a surgeon, but otherwise was a mere simpleton : he was
rejoiced when he found out I could speak his language,
and began to address many empty and impertinent
speeches to me ; said, among other things, he could not
believe that I was a general's wife, as he was certain a
woman of such rank would not follow her husband : he
wished me to remain with him, as he said it was better
to be with the conquerors than the conquered. I was
shocked at his impudence, but dared not shew the con-
tempt and disdain I felt for him, because it would de-
prive me of a place of safety ! Towards evening he beg-
ged me to take a part of his chamber : I told him I was
determined to remain in the room with the wounded offi-
cers; whereupon he attempted to pay me some stupid
compliments. M this moment the door opened, and mtj
husband with his aid-de-camp entered. I then said *• Ilere,
Sir, is my husband ;" and at the same time eyed hiia
witli scorn, wliereupon he retired abashed ; nevertheless
he was so polite as to offer his chamber to us.

« Some days after this we arrived at Albany, where
we so often wished ourselves ; but we did not enter it as
we expected we should — victors! We were received by
the good General Schuyler , his wife and daughters, not as

3^3 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, enemies, but kind friends, and they treated us with the
^'" most marked attentiow and politeness, as they did Gene*
ral Burgoyne, who had caused General Schuyler's beau^
tifully finished house to be burnt; in fact they behaved
like persons of exalted minds, who determined to bury all
recollection of thdr own injuries in the contemplation of
our misfortunes. General Burgoyne was struck with Ge-
neral Schuyler's generosity, and said to him, « Vou shew
me great kindness, although I have done you much injury.'*
•u That was the Jute of war,''' replied the brave man, » let
ns say no more about it**

I

GENERAL WILKINSON. 349

CHAPTER IX.

Reflections on the rise and progress of revolutions. — Condi- CHAP.
tion of the American colonists at the commencement of ,^,-y^^
their revokition. — The sentiments by which they were
animated. — The years 1775 and 1776, the golden cera of
America.'—.^ contrary spirit marked the years 1777 and
1778. — Its continuance and the danger it threatens to the
United States. — General Wilkinson visits the camp at
White Marsh.— Battle of Gennantown the principal topic
of conversation Various opinions on that subject. — Ge-
neral Greene the chief object of jealousy. — His character.
T-Gen, Wilkinson sets out for Mbany, bearing letters from
Generals .Armstrong, St. Clair and Wayne. — Reflections on
those letters and on the battle of Germantown. — Arnves
at Mbany 8th December. — His reception by General Gates.
' — Colonel Hamilton's mission to Mbany.-— Correspondeiwe
explaining the objects of his mission. — Conversation be*
tween General Gates and Wilkinson, on the subject of a
letter of General Conwaifs. — Letters from General Mif-
flin to General Gates, and of General Gates to General
Conway, on that subject. — General Gates appointed pre-
sident of the Board of War, and departs for the seat of
government. — General Wilkinson*s letter to General Gates,
on the subject of the convention of Saratoga. — Wdkinson
departs for Fort Schuyler, to inspect and muster the troops.
^^Visits the Oneida village. — Improvements of the west-
ern part of the state of JVexv Fork.' — Appeal to the citizens
nf that state. — Wilkinson returns to Albany. — Is advised
by letter of his appointment as secretary to the Board of
War. — Correspondence with Lord Sterling. — Reflections
thereon. — Leaves Albany, and arrives at Reading. — Ar-
rives at Lancaster on the 21st, and is informed of General
Gates having denounced him for betraying General Con-

35^ MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. way*s letter to General Washington.^— Perplexity of Wil-
*^' kinson^s situation,— Disparity of age and rank between
'"^^^^"^^ General Gates and Wilkinson considered — Remarks on
the correspondence with Lord Sterling — Correspondence
with General Gates.— Wilkinson proceeds to York-toxvn,
—Requests Captain Stoddert to hear a message to General
Gates, which he refuses.— Wilkinson's resolution un-
shaken.— Parts with Captain Stoddert and meets Colonel
Ball, tvho he prevails on to carry a message to General
Gates.— Gates's reception of that gentleman.— Captain
Stoddert arrives from General Gates, requesting an in-
terview M the instance of the former, Wilkinson con-
sents Interviexv, and explanation on the part of Ge-
neral Gates.— Wilkinson meets Gates at the war office, in
consequence of a previous arrangement. — Wilkinson pro-
ceeds to Lancaster, on his way to Valley Forge — Remon-
strance of the brigadiers and colonels, against Conway's
and Wilkinson's promotion.— Rejiections thereon.— Mi-
nutes of Congress, recording Wilkinson's resignation. —
—Wilkinson arrives at Valley Forge.— Requests Colonel
Moijlan to deliver a peremptory message to Lord Ster-
ling.— The latter proposes another mode of proceeding. —
Wilkinson's confidence in Colonel Moylan, induces him to
adopt it Letters to and from Lord Sterling.— Observa-
tions thereon Extracts from General Washington's let-
ter to Gen. Gates General Washington's letter to Lord

Sterling, March 21sf, 1 77%.— Wilkinson refuses General

Washington's invitation Is again invited, ami assigns

his reasons for refusing. — Receives a message from Ge-
neral Washington, stating the suhject upon which he
7vishes to see him. — Waits on General Washington —
The conversation which ensued. — Exposition of General
Washington's correspondence with General Gates. — Re-
flections thereon, and Lord Sterling's communications to
General Washington.— Reference to Gordon's History and
Graijdon's Memoirs.— Extract of a letter from General
Lee to General Gates.— -Wilkinson resigns his appoint-
ment of secretary to the Board of War.— Is appointed

GENERAL WILKINSON. 351

clothier-general of the army, and his reasons for accept-
ing the appointment, — Course prescribed to him in wri-
ting t/iese memoirs.

The motives which lead to political revolutions may ciiAF.
originate in the pride of family, in personal wrongs or '^'
private ambition, but most frequently they grow out of R(.flec-
the abuse of power. The subordinate agents and actors tions an
in revoluti^onary scenes, but imperfectly comprehend the j^^d pro.
grounds of controversy, and are guided more by the cur- S^^^^ °^

r& volti'

rent of opinion than principle and intelligence. Popular tions.
commotions are impressive; but a national convulsion,
like an irresistible torrent, sweeps every thing along with
it, and the votaries of the public cause co-operate without
inquiry; it rouses all the active energies and generous
emotions of the heart, which it swells witli enthusiasm,
and leaves nothing to sordid calculations ; and when the
motives are just, and the direction temperate, a state of
revolution is the most seducing on earth.

Such was the condition of the American colonists at Condition
the commencement of their contest with the parent state, °} ^^^
when, with a few exceptions, all heads, hands and hearts colonists
were united for the protection of common interests and *^ ^^^

*^ com-

the attainment of specific objects. Strangers to local dis- mence-
tinctions and personal factions, the American community Jhe"revo-
exhibited an unity of sentiment and action, which in- lution.
flucnced their private transactions, and controlled tiieir
jniblic deliberations. With « liberty or death" for their
motto, they were ready to throw their property into a
common stock; the only competition among them was in
contributions to the public weal ; and the resolutions of
Congress were "more strictly obeyed and more punctually
executed, than the most solemn laws of the best regulated
governments in the world. ^

The years 1775, 1776, might properly be styled the
golden sera of the American revolution; when hardships
and perils blended the fortunes of all, and bound them to-
gether by the strongest ties of sympathy and self defence.
But alas ! this disinterested union and harmonious accord..

35^ MElMOIRS BY

CHAP, was soon, too soon, dissolved, by that foolish impulse^
'^ which armed brother against brother, and shed the first
ChaHee in ^^^^^ ®^ man. Security begot dissension, and prosperity
1777-8. ambition^ the sudden accumulation of individual for-
tunes by licensed sea robbers, excited the sordid pas-
sions ; a spirit of venal speculation overspread the whole
country, and personal factions and political intrigues dis-
tinguished the years 1777 and 1778, infected private con-
fidence and poisoned public concord, and then the iron
age of these United States began, which has unfortunate-
ly flourished with unexampled vigour, and in the shbrt
space of forty years furnishes abundant cause of appre-
hension for the safety of the constitution, that palladium
of liberty, purchased by the best blood of the country.

1 had now reached a period when neither political in-
tegrity, personal probity, patriotic zeal, nor innocence of
life could shield me against envy, jealousy, suspicion and
perfidy. My youth then furnished objections to my un-
solicited promotion, and my age has since afforded Pre-
sident Madison a pretext for turning me out of the ser-
vice : and thus it appears, that from youth to age 1 have
been a sulyect of persecution j yet it is ray pride and my
boast that my life has been devoted to my country.
General At the time I visited the camp at White Marsh the
lyiikinson ^yj^y jj^j |)gg„ unfortunate in various conflicts, and mili-

visits the ^ '

camp at tary misfortunes are the infallible sources of discontent.
Marsh '^ ''^ battle of Germantown was then the prevailing topic
Battle of of Conversation j a successful onset had inspired the belief
town, and ^^^^ ^^e attack might have been conducted to a triumphant
thevarious termination ; in searching for the causes of discomfiture^
on that opinions were diversified, some charging it to the tardy
subject, movements of the left, others to defective vigour on the
right, but those who had been most warmly engaged, as-
cribed it the halt of the centre at Chew's house, which
was imputed to the counsellors of the commander in cliief,
who were condemned with little reserve, and among them
I perceived General Greene was the most prominent ob-
ject of jealousy; a gentleman in whom General Washing-
ton always found a safe and able adviser, and the country

GENERAL WILKINSON. 35B

a, cautious but most efficient General ; and if true valour cffAP.
be estimated by calm self-possession, decision and vigour '^"
in the hour of peril, his title to that quality was establisli- ^jj ^^
cd in the battles of Guildford and Eutaw, which furnish racier.
his proper eulogy ; whilst his constancy, forecast, re-
source and arrangements, in the most active scenes and
critical exigencies of tlic war, proclaim this pupil of
"Washington to be the lirst captain of his day.

I remained with the grand army until the 22d Novem-
ber, when I set out for Albany, the head quarters of Ge-
neral Gates, bearing letters from Generals Armstrong,*
St. Clair and Wayne, which I shall here present to the
i«eader, to illustrate the feelings of the army respecting
tiie battle of Gerniantown, and furnish him an idea of the
state of public affairs at that interesting epoch; and with
the same motives, I shall introduce a previous letter from
General Armstrong, of the 9th October.

" Camp near tht Trapp, 9th Oct. 1777.
*• Dear General,

" Three days ago I wrote you at greater length than
I at present can do, but find through hurrying in tlie
niglit, I have sent your letter to some other gentleman.

<* On tlie fourth instant General "Washington attacked
the enemy, marching his troops by various routes about
fifteen miles tlic preceding night. The British troops
were encamped chiefly at Gerniantown, the foreigners
principally betwixt the Falls of Schuylkill and John
Van Deering's mill, we could not take off (as was design-
ed) but beat the enemy's pickets, so that the surprise was
not total but partial. At the head of Gerniantown the
continental troops attacked with vigour, and drove the
British who frequently rallied and were drove again and
again about the space of two miles, when some unhappy
spirit of infatuation seized our troops almost universally,

• The hero of Kittaning in the war of 1756 ; father of the late Se-
cretary of war, and one of the most virtuous men who has lived in
any age or country.

VOL. I. Y y

354j memoirs by

CIUP. whereby they began to retreat and fled in wild disorder
*^' luiknown to the General, that is without his orders and
'""^^^^ beyond his power to prevent. So that a victory, a glo-
rious victory, fought for and eight-tenths won, was
shameruil> but mysteriously lost, for no one to this moment
can or at least will give any good reason for the flight.
The conjectures are these, the morning was foggy and so
far unfiivouraidf. It is said ours took the manoeuvres of
part of fmr own people, for large reinforcements of the
enemy, and t!iorrl>y took fright at themselves or at one
another. Some unhappy officer is said to have called out
we are surrounded, we are surrounded. The enemy also
in their flight, 1 mean part of them, took into a church,
and a large body into Mr. Chew's Germantown house,
where, on our part, an ill-judged delay was made, and the
troops impeded in their warm pursuit. There a flag was
sent in, insulted, and the bearer wounded, where also a
number of our people fell by the wall pieces and musket-
ry of the house, which proved too strong for the metal of
our field pieces.

*< I hope to send you a copy of our order of march and
attack, and of our loss, the return not being fully made
when I was last at head quarters, which is fourteen miles
from me, but am to join again to-morrow. My destiny
was against the foreigners, rather to divert them with the
militia, than fight their superior body, however we attempt-r
ed both, until the General seeing his men retreat, sent for
me, with the division. I followed a slow cannonade se-
veral miles but found him not, fell in the rear of the ene-
my, still supposing them a vaiaquislied party and that we
had victory, though tlie firing was then counter, we gave
them a brush, but their artillery so well directed soon
obliged us to file off, near two hours after our troops had
left the field. I lost but three, and nine wounded. On
the other hand, every intelligence from town assures us
that the continental trooi)S in the morriing gave the ene-
my a severe <!rubbiiig. General Agnew killed. Grant .ind
Sir Will. Erskine wounded, with some Colonels. The
hospital and some churches crowded with their wounded.

GENERAL WILKINSON. SW

The triumphant torys again struck to tlic centre, and the chap.
drooping spirits of the vvhigs again relieved. Tims God ,^^^^
supports our otherwise sinking spirits, which were also
animated hy your northern success. Before tliis I hope
my son has joined and given you the Brandywinc story
and succeeding movements. This last effort thou'j;h in
PART unfortunate, is a great and happy thing, and still
greater things depend on the next. May heaven indul-
gent give it success.

« I am with compliments to your suite,

i( Dear General,

a Affectionately yours,

"JOHN ARMSTRONG.
tt Major-general Gates."

t( Camp at White Marsh, 13 miles from
Philadelphia, 2mh JS^ov. 1777.

it Dear General,

"Notwithstanding the worst disposition for writing
and the marching orders of this day, I must not derline
this natural opportunity, of testifying not only my own but
the high pleasure of our army and all friends of liberty,
amounting with many even to rapture, in consequence of
the success of your exertions and those of your bravo
army on the 15th ult. ; a victory this, but seldom grant-
ed to man ! charadenstic of the Supreme Agent, and evi-
dential of his high favour to the American cause. May
God who gave it deliver you, the feeble instrument, (aa
from corporal enemies he has done) from the suble at-
tacks to which you must stand exposed on the iugh pin-
nacle of fame, from which watchfulness and humility only
can hand you down in safety, 7vhilst gratitude and giving
God glory will best establish your feet.

*< On our geiKral and very important affairs here, I
hope the young gentleman who will deliver this may be
able to say almost the whole. The enemy have thrown
a curved line of redoubts from Srhuylkill to Delaware,
and chiefly filled the intermediate spaces by abbatis.
They are stronger, and were so at landing, tluxn we ge-

356 MEMOIRS BY

iierally believed. They are now about 9,000 effectives,
besides the reinforcement just arrived from York. Our
number in continental troops, until now the reinforce-
ments come in, were considerably inferior to the enemy.
I hope a few days will lead us to push them from their
strong redoubts ; we are promised that pleasuic, with the
additional compliments of being chased over the moun-
tains as soon as the shipping is brought up. Fort Island,
after a brave resistance, we have lately lost. Lord Conv-
wallis, with some troops from Philadelphia and Clinton's
reinforcement, are now on the enterprise of taking Red
bank. We have detached in aid of that garrison. As to
the spot its now of no consequence to us, the little fleet
having determined to move up the Delaware. \Ye are
ill clothed, the winter is on, to hut near the enemy will
be arduous, is dangerous ; to return back for quarters and
thereby leave the country open, appears to be intolerable.
These are the outlines of our situation at present; hoping
for some favourable opening whereby the campaign may
be closed with reputation, God only can give it. Our
troops express their wishes for another trial, and must be
greatly animated by the arrival of your's. We have
about 2,500 militia of this state, and about 800 from
Maryland, about this number will remain for some weeks
yet, but they are ever fluctuating. I presume, Johnny*
will wish to see Carlisle this winter, if consistent with
your situation.

« I am. Dear General, with great truth,
" Most cordially your's,

"JOHN ARMSTRONG.

« Major-general Gates.'*

« Camp at White Marsh, jYov. Qist, ±777.
*< Dear General,

« Though my congratulations on your signal success
come rather late, they are not the less sincere. Sick-
ness iu my family had called me away from the army, and

* Late Secretary of War.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 3j7

I was absent when the news of General Burgoyne's sur- chap.
render arrived, an event glorious to you, and tliat must .^^.^^^^
b<j attended with the most happy consequences to Ameri-
ca, and it affords mo the greater pleasure, as you was the
happy instrument in bringing it k) pass. This, my dear
General, is not the language of compliment but of the
heart. I am not used to make professions, but I ever
shall he interested in your good or bad fortune, as I have
not forgot nor ever shall foiget, the friendship I have re-
ceived at your hands.

*< The battle of Germantown happened in my absence.
I can give you little account of it. There was strange
mismanagement, and it has produced infinite courts mar-
tial and as we have been inactive ever since, seems to
have impressed us with a sense of the superiority of the
British troops,- that gives me mucli concern; it is certain
our discipline and our numbers too are inferior to theirs,
but when your victorious troops arrive they will make
our scale preponderate ; but what can delay them so ?
Morgan has been arrived above a fortnight.

« The fort on Mud Island was evacuated on the I6tli
instant, at midniglit, (one of tlie enemy's ships lying with-
in pistol shot of it at the time) after having sustained a
siege of near seven weeks. It is a very singular event
that such a thing, the veriest hicoque that ever was erect-
ed should have retarded the operations of an army of
twelve or fourteen thousand men and a great fleet so long.
Colonel Smith* (a son of your friend Mr. Smith of Balti-
more,) has acquired immortal honour in defence of it.
The chcveaux de frizc are not yet removed, nor will they
be, so long as we maintain the Jersey shore, but that I
fear will not long be the case, as the troops from New
York are landed at Billingsport, and a large dctachmeni
fpom Pliiladelphia under the command of Lord Cornwal-
lis has joined them j Greene, however, with his division
Las marched to oppose them, and he has likewise Var-
num*s brigade. ^

« My affair is still in the same situation as when I last

• General Samuel Smith, the defender of the city of Baltimore.

358 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, wrote you. I am firmly persuaded it is tlie intention of
^^j" Congress to avoid bringing it to a trial as long as possi^
ble, in hopes that the matter will die away of itself and
be forgotten ; that however is not my intention. I have
been pretty constant in my applications for justice to my-
self, and to my country, and shall continue them until I
prevail or they throw oflf the mask. It is melancholy
that a body lately so august, so truly venerable, should
in so short time be so visibly altered ; if the degeneracy
continues, (and when intriguing and cabal takes root in
public assemblies^ it generally continues and increases,^ I
cannot tell what may be the consequences, nor do I like
to imagine them ; but this is certain, never since this
great contest began, had we more need of upright, uncor-
rupted, wise and disinterested counsels and counsellors,
for we are arrived at the crisis or very near it. This
train of thought does not arise altogether from what has,
happened to myself, but from a retrospect of the causes
that has brought us to a situation, in which we can with
great difficulty get either forward or backward.

« This moment I have a letter from the President co-
vering the following very extraordinary resolve,

<( Whereas, the committee appointed to inquire into the
causes of the loss of Ticonderoga and Fort Independence,
have not yet been able to collect materialSf and make their
report. Resolved, that Major-general St. Clair be at
liberty to attend to his private affairs until he shall have
notice to attend head quarters, in order to an inquiry into
his conduct."

« Judge now. Sir, wliat I ought to think of them,
for I made no such application as this would indicate, or
whether the suspicion I threw out above is not but too
well founded. If they had candour or common honesty,
they would have owned, that after five months spent in
sparching for an accusation, they had been unable to find
one; one at least that they dared to own ; and instead of
commanding me to retire from the army, which is the
English of the resolve, with all the ignominy upon my
head that they had unjustly endeavoured to fix there.

■Mft:

GENERAL WILKINSON. 359

t'ould have acknowlcdccd their error, and done what was chap.
in their power to remove it ; but many ot them are inca-
pable of a genercnis seniivient or action in private life;
and a public station, by making men more acquainted
with the views and frailties of others, confirms and in-
creases their own; a trial however they shall give me; «
be the event what it will, they cannot rob me of that
heartfelt satisfaction, which is the companion and reward
of virtuous actions.

<* I shall leave the camp to-morrow, but shall not cease
to pray to God to avert those calamities to my country,
that may ever make my feeble assistance necessary.

« I had a great deal more to say, but this cursed re-
solve has deranged all my ideas ; adieu my dear General.
*i I ever am, your very affectionate,
*< Humble servant,

"ARTHUR ST. CLAIR.

« P. S. I am extremely happy .at Wilkinson's promo-
tion, and thank you very heartily for procuring it.

«<He has great merit, and what is in my opinion more
valuable, he has a warm honest heart. I have knmvn
many an errant knave with considerable abilities.
« Major-general GatcsJ"

« Camp at White Marsh, 2ist JMov. 1777,
** My Dear General,

« I most sincerely congratulate you on the unparallel-
ed success of our arms under your conduct, which has
surpassed even our most sanguine hopes, and which must
eventually save this (otherwise) devoted countiy.

« Fortune to us has proved a fickle goddess; although
at one time she wore a pleasing aspect, but like some
other females changed for the first new face she saw. I
can't say we treated her so kindly as she deserved ; we
slighted ill an idle moment some of her best favoui*s ; I
wish we had not done .it more than once ; for she more
than once presented them.

<« Bcfoi*e the battle of the Brandywine we had a most
delightful opening, we neglected making the proper use
of it. In the Groat Valley the enemy took, and remain-

360 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, ed ill, the most injudicious camp that ever troops sat down
y^,^!^^ in. The hills on each side were not more than a mile
asunder; they in the hollow and the hills the strongest
ground I ever saw, the Schuylkill in front and unforda-
ble ; tlie country all open to receive us in case of a mis-
fortune ; we risked but little, the enemy their all. At
Germantown fortune again smiled on our arms for full
three hours ; the enemy were broke, dispersed, and flying
in all quarters, we were in possession of their whole en-
campment, together with their artillery park, &c. &c.
A windmill attack was made on a house, into which six
light companies had thrown themselves to avoid our bayo-
nets ; this gave the enemy time to rally, our troops were
deceived by the attack, taking it for something formida-
ble, they fell back to assist in what they deemed a serious
affair; the enemy finding themselves no further pursued,
and believing it to be a retreat, followed ; confusion en-
sued, and we ran away from the arms of victory ready
open to receive us.

« "We have lost Fort Mifflin, alias Mud Island, after
an investiture of six weeks, without any attempt to raise
the siege ; the consequence of which, will be the loss of
all our other works and shipping in the river, and will
give easy winter quarters to Mr. Howe and his army,
whilst we shall be reduced to the hard necessity of mak-
ing a winter's campaign in the open field with naked
troops, or give up the greatest part of this once happy
state to be subjugated and laid under contribution. I
have thus given you a true picture of our present situa-
tion, over which I wish to draw a veil until our arms pro-
duce one more lovely, whicli I don't yet despair of, if our
worthy General will but follow his own good judgment
without listening too much to some counsel.

" I wish to hear from you whenever you can find time
from your more important business.

** Wilkinson will give you a full Iiisfory of men and
measures, adieu my Dear General, and believe me,
<' Your's most sincerely,

"ANTHONY WAYNE.

« Hon. General Gates,''

GENERAL WILKINSON. 361

Frdm these letters, the variety and perplexity of opi- chap,
iiions and the discontents which ensued the battle of Gi r- ''^•
mantown, may be fairly comprehended. Nor should tliis
be a matter of surprise, for it is vvtll known to every mi-
litary raan of jud.c;mcnt and experience, that from the
platoon to the regiment, the officer who in combat per-
forms his duty faithfully, has too much to do to give at-
tention beyond his neighbouring regiment or platoon, par-
ticularly in broken grounds, and under the obscurity of
night or a dense fog; yet it is notorious that in our ser-
vice, « the battle once ended," its details are canvassed
and its merits fought over and over again, with equal lo-
quacity, pertinacity and skill, as well by the youngest en-
sign as the oldest brigadier, upon grounds, princi])Ies and
actions, as diversified as the faces of the critics and com-
mentators ; such was the situation of the army at White
Marsh in November, 1777 ; and I offer tliose remarks to
the candour of the present army, in the hoj)e they may
tend to restrain the license of the subordinate ranks, and
check the garrulity of at least two major-generals, with
whom I should be sorry to compare the distinguished
chiefs [ have just quoted.

But it will be seen that General Armstrong was de-
ceived in point of fact, and at a loss for the causes of the
failure; General St. Clairspcaksofthe litigious disposition
and discontents of the camp ; and General Wayne's Csesa-
rian spirit could not brook the Fabian system of General
Washington, which saved his country from heavy calami-
ties ; ardent, valorous and panting for fame, like Clair-
fait,* he was ever ready for tiie combat, and as an exe-
cutive oflicer, would have done honour to the fust service
of the world. General Washington well understood his
worth and duly estimated it, and no officer more highly
respected the commander in chief than General Wayne ;
His letter is a compliment to his professional enterprise,
and having led the attack, and participated in the heat

* General Moreau informed me that Clairfait never refused a bat.
lie, and when his antagonist desired a combat, he had only to make a
demonstration and Clairlait never failed him.

VOL. I. Z Z

S62 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, of the battle of Germantown successfully, as he believed,
^^ against the main body of the enemy, it was very natural
he sliould feel sore at the issue of the affair, the merits of
which are little understood even at this day ; and the
glance which my limits permit me to take of it, in this
place, will be confined to a few brief reflections, and the
i-ecital of several essential facts, on which the reader will
be left to make his comments. General Washington's in-
ability to resist the progress of an enemy, his superior in
discipline, experience, appointments and numerical force,
did not appal his resolution, or shake the firmness of his
soul ; and the misfortunes of 1776 had taught him how to
sustain those of 1777; he watched the motions of his adver-
sary, prepared to strike him, whenever an opportunity
should present; and the security to which Sir William
Howe gave hinjself up, after he got possession of Phila-
delphia, indicated by the distraction of his force, and the
loose disposition of his main body in the neighbourhood
of Germaiitown, made an opening which the American
chief determined to embrace ; whereby, as at Trenton, he
re-animated the country, raised the spirits of his own
troops, and diminished the confidence of the enemy.

But with deference to thejudgment of my contemporaries,
I do not consider the disposition of tlje attack the most ju-
dicious, particularly for tiie night, and with a large pro-
portion of undisciplined militia; it was too widely extend-
ed* for strict com:ert, and too complicated for precise
co-operation, on which tlie success of the enterprise es-
ecntially depended ; nor can I believe that the composition,
equipmenls, and numerical force under General Wash-
ington, warranted the expectation of the capture of the
army under Sir William Howe ; yet the principle of the
attack evinced the wisdom of the projector, and, although
it could not be so successful as at Trenton, it produced
the most salutary effects to tiie country. It reminded Sir

• The front of General Washington's army on this movement, ex-
tended from the Old York to the Ridge road, over a space of at least
four mdes, intersected with hills and ravines, which rendered the
communication exceedingly difficult

GENERAL WILKINSON. 863

William Howe of the scenes of Trenton and Princeton, chap.
taught him to respect his antagonist, and inspired him ^^
witii fear of an enemy whom lie had despised. It forced
him into Philadelphia, straitened his quarters, and pit
him on the defensive ; and no more important consequences
could have heen produced, hy the most sanguinary victo-
ry, short of an absolute conquest, of which I humbly con-
ceive, there could be no prospect, and for the following
considerations.

1st. — The main body of the British army encamped at
Germantown the Sd October, 1777, occupied ground
nearly at right angles with the street ; the front line on
the school-house lane to tiic west, and the chuich lane to
the east, the park in the area south of the markct-hotise,
opposite to which, on the left, General Howe had his
quarters, in the house of David Deslder ; the second line
formed a parallel about half a mile in rear, and flanking
the road near the old six mile stone, before the door of H.
Cunningham esq.; a detachment had marched to co ope-
rate in the reduction of Fort Mifflin, and Lord Cornwal-
lis with the grenadiers was quartered in Philadelphia;
the advanced body of this army, consisting of the 2(1 bat-
talion of British liglit infantry, with a respectable field
train, occupied the height immediately in front of Beg-
gars-town on the left of the road, and more than two
miles from the main body, with an out-lying picket post-
ed at the southern foot of Mount Airy, almost nine miles
from the market-house of tl^e city ; the 40th regiment was
encamped three-quarters of a mile in rear of the light in-
fantry, in a field* of B. Chew esq. and eastward of his
country seat.

2d. — If the darkness of the night, had deranged the
march of the American troops, a very thick fog in the
morning tended to keep up the distraction ; that n»erito--
rious veteran Colonel Allen M«Lane, who for activity,
enterprise, daring resolution, and etli( ient service, was
surpassed by no officer of his grade in tlie revolution, at

• This fact is derived from Captain Campbell of tlii.t rorns. who w.-**
n"ounded in iefience of the house

364< MEMOIRS BY

GHAP. that time a Captain, led the advanced patrole of the cen-
tre, and being well acquainted with the ground and the
position of the enemy, attempted to surprises their picket,
but fell in with double sentries, whom he killed with the
loss of one man, and soon after routed tlie guard ; the
surprise was complete, and Wayne's brigade commenced
the action with the British light infantry, who made a
vigorous resistance, but were forced to retire, leaving
their artillery on the ground, they however preserved
some order and kept up a scattering fire as they fell
back.

5d. — The picket of the 40th regiment was soon after
attacked and retired on their encampment, when Lieute-
iiant-colonol Musgrave, who commanded that corps,
leaving his camp standing, threw himself into Mr.
Chew's house ; in the mean time General Wayne press-
ed the retreating light infantry, and continued to over-
tfirow every thing in his way ; our men expended their
ammunition lavishly, which with raw troops in irregular
actions is inevitable, soon run shorty and a messenger was
sent to the rear for a supply.

4th. — General Washington with General Sullivan and
t!ie troops who followed Wayne at this period had reach-
ed the vicinity of Mr. Chew's house, from the upper win-
dows of which Musgrave was delivering a random fire
at the corps passing on the road, who might be heard but
could not be seen, because of the distance of the house
from it, and the density of the fog ; a consultation was
held and it was determined to attack tliis house, by which
a part of the centre column was halted, but this mea-
sure could have had no effect on the movements of those
on the right and left. The doors and the sliutters of the
lower windows of this mansion were shut and fastened,
the fire of the enemy being delivered from the iron grat-
ings of the cellars and the windows above; and it was
closely beset on all sides, with small arms and artillery,
as is manifest from the multiplicity of traces still visible,
from musket ball and grape shot on the interior walls

GENERAL WILKINSON. 36S

and ceilings, which appear to have entered through the ciiAP
doors and windows in every direction ; marks of ( uniinn '^
ball are also visible in several places on the exterior wall
and through the roof, though one ball only appears to
have penetrated below the roof, and that by a window in
the passage of the second story. The artillery st'tius to
have made no improssion on the walls of the house, a few
slight indentures only being observable, except from one
stroke in the rear which started the wall. 1 have been
informed that a Major White, aid-de-camp to General
Sullivan, was mortally wounded by a shot from the cellar,
in attempting to set fire to a window; and it was reported
that Colonel Laurens, an aid-de-camp of General Wash-
ington, attempted with a party to force the giain door;
certain it is that door is much perforated, and it is evi-
dent that twenty or thirty shot were fired througij it bj
the defendants. The most daring resolution was exert-
ed to carry this building, but the perseverance of Mus-
grave baffled every effort.

5th. — These attacks being withdrawn, a parley was
ordered to be beaten, and as Captain Smith of the Vir-
ginia line was advancing with a flag to demand a surreu- •
der, he was killed by a shot from the house.

Dui'ing these operations before Mr. Chew's house, Ge-
neral Wayne continued to pursue the retreating enomyj
General Armstrong was engaged with the Hessians near
the Schuylkill,- and a part of General Greene's column,
had reached the church lane, and met the right wing of
the enemy's front line; Colonel W. Stewart with his re-
giment, and Colonel George Mathews with the 9th Vir-
ginia regiment, got warmly engaged, though not in con-
cert, and were soon overpowered ; Stewart made good
his retreat, but Matthews with his corps were taken pri-
soners. In the mean time Lord Coinwallis w:ws advan-
cing rapidly with the grenadiers, and tlie left wing of the
liritish front line had got in motion under Generals Gray.
and Agnevv. At this critical juncture, the front of the
American troops had nearly reached the market house.

•f

•

366 IVIEMOIRS BY

CHAP, when hearing the parley* in rear, and mistaking it lor
*^- the retreat, some one cried out, « They beat the retreat;"
the exclamation spread like wild fire — a sudden panic en-
sued— and troops who had met with no check fled in wild
disorder, in spite of the exertions of their oflScedfe to rally
them. The fog still continued extremely heavy ; the left
column had become entangled and was falling back, and
the right had made no impression.

6th. — With his corps in this state of distraction, if
General Washington had pressed forward with the centre
column, fatigued and exhausted of ammunition, he would
have come into contact with the main body of the British
army, fresh for action; and under such disparity of cir-
cumstances, it needs not the spirit of divination to say
what would have been the consequence : for if we allow
' • the 2d light infantry and the 40th regiment to consist of
1200 men, and 2000 for the detachment to Province
island. Sir William Howe could certainly have brought
10,000 men into action, as he had landed 18,000,f only
seventy days before, at the head of Elk, and had not suf-
fered a heavy loss.

It has been reported, and it is generally believed, that
General Agnew was killed in the action of Germantown,
but nothing can be more incorrect: this officer had just
marched with a brigade from the left wing of the British
army to support the action, when our troops gave way^

• When a messenger reached the rear for ammunition. Captain
Thomas Foirest (now Colonel) was near General Knox, who ordered
him forward to give information that the ammunition wagons were at
hand. This happened near Mr. Chew's house, some time after the
attack, and as Forrest rode off he heard the proposition for beating
a parley; and he had nearly got up with the front of the troops when
the beat was made, and the consequences followed, under his imme-
diate observation, which I have stated with his permission. The
oldest troops in the world are liable to such unaccountable alarms. —
Tlie battle of Friedlingen furnislies a most extraordinary instance,
where the victorious army of Marshal Villars, after beating and pur-
suing the Imperialists a considerable distance, upon a cry •' Que Von
etoit covpe" were seized with a panic, turned about, and fled in dis-
order from their flying enemy,

f See Marshall.

GENERAL AVILKINSON. 367

and advancing at the head of his column, a lurking party chap.
of two or three men, concealed behind tlie wall of the ^^
Baptist meeting house, at the foot of the acclivity north
of the old 6th mile stone, fired on him, and he was mor-
tally wounded by one of them, supposed to be Philip
Boyer, who is still living j and as the fact may, perad-
venture, interest some relative of the murdered general,
I will state in this place, that he was carried forward a
short distance to a low stone house, on the left of the
street, occupied at that time by Jacob Hall, and owned"
now by Henry Streeper, where the unfortunate man ter-
minated his life, a victim to military ambition.

After the examination of these facts and circumstances,
I cannot repress the belief that the halt at Chew's house,
whatever may be its merits in a professional view, was
another manifestation of the Divine interposition in be-
half of these states; because if General Washington had
met with no obstacle, he would, under the thickness of
the fog, have closed with the main body of the enemy be-
fore he ctjuld have been apprised of its proximity, and
then his centre and a part of his left wing would have
been committed to a general action with the whole Bri-
tish army ; the result of which I submit to the conside-
ration of my readers.

The following general orders of Sir William Howe,
may contribute to assist and satisfy inquiry, and they
tend to support my deductions as to the effect of General
Washington's attack of the 4th of October.

Extract from the General Orders of the army under the
command of General Sir William Howe,

Head-q,uarters Germantown.

,Aftcr Orders — 2 o*clock, September 9,9th, 1777,

"The 10th and 42d regiments to march this afternoon
at 4 o'clock to Middle Ferry on the Schuylkill ; the 42d
to take with them the two 6 pounders from the third
brigade." <1|

MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. October Uhf 177 T.

*^- <« Such corps as suspect they have left anj' wounded on

the field, are immediately to send wagons with a small
escort, to bring them to the hospital in Germantown.

** The wagons that go for provisions are to receive the
wounded ]»ere to-morrow morning by seven, to carry
them to the general hospital in town.**

Morning Orders — October 5 th.

" Each corps to send out patroles in their front this
foi*enoon, to searcli for rebel arms, and take them to the
artillery park, where the men will be paid for them agree-
ably to tlie regulation.

« All rebel prisoners and deserters to be immediately
sent to the town guard in Germantown, in order to their
feeing forwarded to Philadelphia.

<* The commander in chief desires his public thanks
may be given to the general officers, commanding officers
of corps, and all the officers and soldiers that were yes-
terday engaged, for their a4ertncss in getting under arms
and good services in beating hack and efTectually routing
the enemy, and desires his particular thanks to Lieute-
nant-colonel Musgrave, for his well judged and gallant
defence of the house he took possession of with the 40th
regiment.

« Returns of the killed, wounded, and missing of each
corps in the action of yesterday, to be given in to the
deputy adjutant-general this evening at gun firing, spe-
cifying the names and ranks of their killed and wounded
officers.

" The first, second, third, and fourth brigades (Bri-
tish) are each to send a surgeon to Philadelphia imme-
diately, to attend the sick and wounded of their respec-
tive corps, under the direction of the general hospital."
Jfter Orders — October 5th.

« The park of artillery, the 5th and 55th regiments of
second brigade, 15th, 17th and 44th of third, the fourth
brigadr, and two battalions of General Sterne's, will be
in readiness to change their ground to-morrow. They
will for that purpose send a quarter-master, and two

GENERAL WILKINSON. 369

Gamp-colourmen from each regiment, to attend the quar- c»\p.
ter-master general, at the head of the fourth brigade, at "''
7 o'clock in the morning."

October 7 th.
« The commander in chief is determined to punish
with the utmost rigour any person who gives a false
alarm, or any sentry who improperly fires off his piece,
to the disturbance of the camp and to the disgrace of the
character of a soldier."

I arrived at Albany the 8th December, was received
by General Gates with great cordiality, and entered on
the functions of my station the 9th. Colonel Hamilton,
aid-de-camp to General Washington, had preceded me
under a mission from the commander in chief, the objects
of which are explained in the following letters.

•»' Camp near White Marsfif 15 miles from
Philadelphia, Oct. SOth, 1777.
*• Sir,

<« By this opportunity I do myself the pleasure to con- Corres-
gratulate you on the signal success of tlie array under expii^rto.
your command, in compelling General Burgoyne and his ry of the
whole force to surrender themselves prisoners of war; an co^lonel**
event that does the highest honour to the American arms, Hamil-
and which I hope will be attended with the most exten-
sive and happy consequences. At the same time, I can-
not but regret that a matter of such magnitude, and so
interesting to our general operations, should have reach-
ed me by report only, or througli the chance of letters,
not bearing that authenticity which the importance of it
required, and which it would have received, by a line
under your signature, stating the simple fact.

<< Our affairs having terminated at the northward, I
have, by the advice of the general officers, sent Colonel
Hamilton, one of my aids, to lay before you a full state
of our situation, and that of the enemy in this quarter;
he is well informed upon the subject, and will deliver my
sentiments upon Uie plan of operations that is now neces-
voi. I. 3 A

370 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, sary to be ptii-siied. I tliink it improper to enter into a

IX

jarticular detail, not knowing how matters are circum-
stanced on tlie North river, and fearing that by some ac-
cidtnt my letter might miscarry. From Colonel Hamil-
ton you will have a clear and comprehensive view of
things, and I persuade myself you will do every thing
in your power to facilitate the objects I have in contem-
plation.

« I am. Sir,

« Your most obedient servant,
«< GO. WASHINGTON.
<i Major-general Gates.^"

<* Mbanyf JVov. 5th, 1777.
« Sir,

« By inquiry I have learned that General Patterson's
brigade, which is the one you propose to send, is by far
the weakest of the three now here, and does not consist
of more than about sij^ hundred rank and file fit for duty.
It is true there is a militia regiment with it of about two
hundred, but the term of service for which this regiment
is engaged is so near expiring, that it would be passed
by the time the men could arrive at t!ie place of theif
destination, and to send tlicm would be to fatigue the men
to no purpose. Under these circumstances, I cannot con-
sider it eitlter as compatible with the good of the service,
or my instructions from his excellency General Washings
ton, to consent that that brigade be selected from the three
to go to him; but I am under the necessity of requiring,
by virtue of my orders from hiiu, ti»at one of the others
he substituted instead of this, either General Nixon's or
General Glover's, and that you will he pleased to give
immediate orders for its embarkation,

<f Knowing that General Washington wished me to
pay great deference to your judgment, I ventured so far
to deviate from the instructions he gave me, as to con-
sent, in compliance with your opinion, that two brigades
should remain here instead of one; at the same time per-
mit me to observe, that I am not myself sensible of the

GENERAL WILKINSON. 371

expediency of kcepin.^ more than one here, in onjunc- CHAP,
tion with the detached regiments in the neighbourhood of 2Il
the place; and that my ideas coincided with those of gen-
tlemen whom I have consulted on the occasion, whose
judgment I have more reliance upon than my own, and
who must he supposed to have a thorough knowledge of
the circumstances, necessary to enter into the question;
their opinion is, that one brigade with the regiments be-
before mentioned, would amply answer the purposes of
this post. When I preferred your opinion to other con-
siderations, I did not imagine you wotdd pitch up»n a
brigade little more than half as large as the others, and
finding this to be the case, I indispensably owe it to my
duty, to desire in his excellency*s name that another bri-
gade may go instead of that intended. As it may be con-
ducive to despatch that General Glover's brigade should
be the one, if agreeable to you, you will give directions
accordingly,

« I have the honour to be,

« With respect and esteem,

<-« Sir, your most obedient serv't*
« ALEX. HAMILTON, Ji. D. C.

«P. S, — If you think proper to order Glover's bri-
gade, and will be pleased to send your orders to me, I
will have them immediately forwarded.
" Major-general Gates.'*

t( Albany, JSTov. 7th, 1777,
« Sir,

« After sending upwards of fire thousand men to the
succour of the southern army, I hoped a further draft
from this department would have betrome unnecessary ;
but Colonel Hamilton acquaints me, it was the unani-
mous opinion of a council of war, that the whole of the
eastern regiments should march freni hence, and that
troops were only to be stationed at Peeks-kill, and in the
highlands, for the defence of the country this way. With
the greatest deference to the opinion of the council of

371^ MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, ivar, I must inform your excellency, that troops posted
*^' at Peeks-kill or in the highlands cannot pgevent the ene-
my from destroying this city and arsenal, whenever they
please to make the attempt; the passage being entirely
unobstructed, a leading wind carries a fleet up the river,
before it will be in tiie power of the force posted in the
highlands to give any effectual opposition thereto, as Ge-
neral Putnam very lately experienced. Colonel Hamil-
ton, after presenting me with your excellency's letter,
verbally demanded that almost all of the troops now in
this department, should be ordered to proceed directly
for New Windsor. I told the Colonel, that your excel-
lency's orders should be obeyed, but, that if my opinion
was to be taken upon the subject, I was entirely averse to
more than one brigade being sent from hence, as this city
and arsenal was not secure with fewer troops than would
then be left to guard them ; and of course every good
effect of the ruin of General Burgoyne's army totally
lost, should the enemy succeed in an attempt to possess
tliis town.

<( Upon mature consideration of all circumstances, I
have nevertheless ordered General Glover's brigade to
be added to General Patterson's in reinforcement of your
6.riny, and they will march, immediately, down the east
side of Hudson's river to Peeks-kill. Colonel Hamilton,
to whom I beg leave to refer your excellency, will report
every thing that I wish to have you acquainted with, as
well with respect to the present state, as the future ope-
rations this way.

" I am. Sir, with due regard,
" Your excellency's very humble servant,
« HORATIO GATES.
« His Excellency Gen, Washington.*^

Conversa. The evening of my arrival at Albany, after the ordi-

tween nary information and inquiries incident to my journey.

General Cteneral Gates observed, « I have had a spy in my camp

Wilkin- since you left me." I did not comprehend the allusion,

son. and he explained by informing me, « Colonel Hamilton

^■?

GENERAL WILKINSON. 373

had been sent up to him by General Wasbini^ton ; and chap.
would you believe it, he purloined the copy of a letter out '^•
of that closet," pointing to one in the room. I answered
him, that « I conceived it impossible." He insisted on the
fact, and further explained : — « The family being called
out by business, he (Colonel Hamilton) was left alone an
hour in this room, during which time, he took Conway's
letter out of that closet, and copied it, and the copy has
been furnished to Washington." I was shocked at the
suspicion, continued to express my disbelief of it, and ob-
served, "that 1 knew Colonel Troup had great confi-
dence in Colonel Hamilton, and that I thought it more
probable, he had innocently communicated the import of
General Conway's letter to Colonel H." The General
would not admit this palliation, but pei-sisted liiat Hamil-
ton had perpetrated the deed, and declared that << he had
adopted apian, which would compel General Washington
to give him up, and that the receiver and the thief wouhl
be alike disgraced." I call the Searcher of all Hearts to
witness the substantial truth of this statement, which, it
will be hereafter seen, is supported by the course pur-
sued by General Gates, and the tenor of his letter to Ge-
neral Washington, in which he requires the author of
the information. Conscious as I was, that 1 had never
spoken of that letter with evil intentions, or at all, except
when it w as mentioned to me ; and considering it, as it
really was, nothing more that the vehic le of the opinions
of an individual, which he had expressed w ithout reserve,
and which General Gates himself had not tveated confi-
dentially, because he had road it publicly in my presence,
as matter of information fiom the grand army ; I felt no
personal solicitude about it, nor could I ascribe to it the
importance which w as siU)sequen(ly given to it ; and
therefore I did not dream of the foul imputations it was
destined to draw down upon me, and the strife and
trouble it would occasion me.

The following letters may, from tiieir immediate i-ela-
tion to these transactions, be properly introduced in this
place : that from General Mifflin to General Gates, jus-

IX

374 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, tifies the opinion of General Conway, and bears testis
mony to his avowal of the sentiments contained in his
letter to General Gates; and the letter of General Gates
to General Conway, manifests his high approbation of
the ideas and observations conveyed in the letter in ques-
tion, before he knew it had been exposed, and of his per-
turbation afterwards.

« Reading, JVoroemher 28tA, 1777.
<' My dear General,

*' ^n extract from General Conway'' s Utter to you has
been procured^ and sent to head quarters. The extract was
a collection of just sentiments; yet such as should not have
been intrusted to any of your family. General Washing-
ton inclosed it to General Conway without remarks. It
was sup-portedy and the freedom of the sentiment was not
apologised for : on the contrary, although some reflections
were made on some people, yet the practice was plead bold-
ly, and no satisfaction given.

" My dear General, take care of your generosity and
frank disposition; they cannot injure yourself, but may
injure some of your best friends.

*« Affectionately yours,

«T. M.
« To Major-general Gates.**

<« Mbany, December Sd, 1777.
*< Dear General,

« Your excellent letter has given me pain ; for at the same
time that I am indebted to you for a just idea of the cause of
our misfortunes^ youv judicious observations make me sen-
sible of the difficulty there is in remedying the evils which
retard our success. The perfect establishment of military
discipline, consistent with the honour and principles which
ougiit to be cherished amongst a free people, is not only
the work of genius, but time.

" But, dear General, you have sent your resignation;
and I assure you, I fondly Iiopc it will not be accepted —
it ought not.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 375

»«The antipathy which has long subsisted between the chap.
Frencli and English nations, will continue until they '^
cease to be neighbours. — Such is the unhappy lot of man-
kind. The separation occasioned by the declaration of
independence, has removed the cause of that hatred which
the political connexion of the British colonists has im-
planted in their breasts against the French, and those
who were attached to their interest. Now that Machia-
vclism can be no longer tempted to keep up those preju-
dices in the minds of the untliinking amongst us, the
French and the people of the United States will become
friends; and I am amazed that men in the station you
mention, should have been so impolitic, or have possess-
ed so little of the philosophic spirit, as to provoke a gen-
tleman of your acknowledged merits, by illiberal reflec-
tions ; however, I must declare to you, that I firmly be-
lieve tlicrc would be more greatness in continuing to serve
the states, notwithstanding the provocation you think you
have received from one of their principal memherSf thau
in resigning the commission you hold. Capricious or dis-
graced warriors so often leave the army, that I du not
wish to see the name of Conway on the list of officers
who have withdrawn from tlie service of our republic. 1
hope the result of your considerations on this subject,
will retain in our service an excellent officer, who has al-
ready exposed his life in our defence ; and that you will
believe I am with the purest esteem,

" Dear General, a

<• Your most humble and most obedient serv't.
« HORATIO GATES.

« P. S. This moment I received a letter from our wor-
thy friend General Mifflin, who informs me, that extracts
from your letters to mc, had been conveyed to General
Washington, and tliat it occasioned an eclaircissement,
in which you acted with all the dignitii of a virtuous sol-
dier, I intreat you, dear General, to let me know which
of the letters was copied off. It is of the greatest impor-
tance, that I should detect the person who has been guilty

370 JMEMOIRS BY

CHAP of that act of infidelity : I cannot trace him out, unless I

have your assistance.
^^^^*^ « H. G.

« General Conway,**

A few days after my return to Albany, Major Ackland
with whose family I was on an intimate footing, spoke
to me with some solicitude on the subject of the retalia-
tion threatened by Congress, for the ill treatment of Co-
lonel Ethan Allen ; he had made arrangements for Lady
Harrietts accouchement in that place, but became uneasy
lest the threat should be carried into effect, and he be se-
lected as the object. He asked my opinion as a friend,
whetiier it would be most advisable to remain where he
was, or to obtain leave to remove on his parole to Nevr
York. I did not hesitate to recommend the latter, be-
cause by being near the commander of his array, he might
be able to accelerate his exchange, and by being out of
sight, should retaliation take place, he might be over-
looked. He then inquired how he could effect this pur-
pose; and I offered him my assistance, on condition he
would make me a pledge : he promised every thing in
his povier, and I advised him to propose to General
Gates, that if ho would parole him, he should exert his
utmost influence to procure Colonel Allen's exchange j
and that, in case he did not succeed, then he would use
his exertions to procure the exchange of my fellow states-
man and friend, Major Otho Williams, with whom I had
served at Cambridge, when he was a subaltern in the rifle
company of Captain Price, and who was suffering se-
verely in captivity at the time, having been wounded and
made prisoner at Fort Washington in 1776. Major Ack-
land entered into this stipulation, and gave me his honour
for the performance. His application to General Gates
succeeded, and he removed with his precious charge to
New York. I wrote Major Williams by him, and on his
arrival there, finding the Major was confined on Long
Island, Major Ackland procured permission for him to
visit the city, and accompanied it with an invitation to

GENERAL WILKINSON. 877

his house, introduced him to Lady Harriet, distlnt^nisli- chap.
ed him by the most generous and friendly attentions, and '-^
finally procured his exchan.a;e, not being able to siiccee<l
in that of Colonel Alien. A( klan<l took great interest in
listening to Major Williams's recital of liis suffctings,
and those of the American prisoneis, which frequently
brougiit tears from Lady Harriet. Major Ackland'a
connexions, fortune, and parliamentary standing, h«iiig
a member of the House of Commons, licensed him in the
free expression of his sentiments; and one day on 'Change,
when the treatment of the American prisoners became a
topic of conversation, after expressing his abhorreiur, he
observed, " But, gentlemen, inhumanity originates at head
quarttrSf and you allfoUow thefashion." On another oc-
casion, after dining with Lady Harriet, he proposed to
Major Williams a visit to an assembly ; thoy filtered,
and the attention of the holies and beaux could not but be
attracted by two stich elegant figures as Ackland and
Williams; but the rancour of civil animosity prevailed
over the obligations of good breeding, and Williams was
shunned like a pestilence. Ackland made his introduc-
tion general* but without effect ; and after sauntering
across the room several times, « Come, AVillian.s," said
he, <* this society is too illiberal for you and me ; let us
go home, and sup with Lady Harriet."

But unfortunate was the destiny of this gallant, genCt
rous, high minded gentleman ; and it cannot be listened
to by an American without deep regret, w hen it is known
he gave his life in defence of their honour. I have the
following detail from an English gentleman in whom I
place confidence: — Ackland, after his return to England,
procured a regiment, and at a dinner of military men,
where the courage of the Americans was made a ques-
tion, took the negative side with his usual decision ; he
was opposed, warmth ensued, and he gave the lie direct
to a Lieutenant Lloyd, fought him, and was shot through
the head. Lady Harriet lost her senses, and continued
deranged two years ; after which, I have been informed,
vwirt I. SB

378 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, she married Mr. Brudenell, who accompanied her tVom
^^- General Burgoyne's camp, when she sought her wound-
ed husband on the Hudson's river.
General rpj^^ foncrcss had new modelled the board of war, and

Gates ap- '-'

pointed on the 27th of November, appointed General Gjites to

SfThe^"* preside* at it^ in consequence of wliich, he repaired to

board of the seat of the Congress, at York-town in Pennsylvania,

Congress. ^^^^^ entered on the functions of the office. But before he

left Albany, he gave me instiaictions to visit, inspect, and

muster the garrison of Fort "Schuyler. Not long after

General Gates's departure, a report reached mc, that

Congress had proliibitcd the embarkation of the troops

included in General Burgoyne's convention. Although

an lumible agent in that transaction, I felt myself deeply

interested in the fulfilment of the contract, and could but

• *' rork-to7V7i, JVovember28th, 1777.

« Sir,

•' My last trouble was dated 23d instant, and conveyed by favour
Mr. Pierce. By the present please to be informed, that Congress
lately entered into resolutions for establishing a board of war, to con-
sist of five commissioners, not members of the house ; and 1 have re-
ceived express orders to notify to you. Sir, you have been elected a
commissioner, and by the unanimous voice of Congress, appointed
president of the board; a circumstance strongly expressive of the'
high sense which Congress entertains of your abilities, and peculiar
fitness to discharge the duties of that important office, upon the right
execution of which the safety and interest of the United States emi-
nently depend. I am further to acquaint you, it is the determination
of Congress, not doubting of your concurrence, to continue your rank
in the army, and not to confine you to the board when your presence
and comi land in the field shall be judged more essential ; and it is
likewise given me in charge, to intimate that your attendance upon
Congress in order to enter upon business at the board of war, as early
as you can with convenience, is earnestly desired.

" Permit me Sir the honour of wishing you a good journey, and of
repeating that I am,

" With very great respect and esteem,

" Your most obedient and humble servant,

" HENRY LAURENS, Prei't.qf Congress.

** The Hon. Major-general Gates'*

GENERAL WILKINSON.

379

consider the motive which governed the Congress "o chap.
grou7id of fear," unworthy the representatives of a Tree '-^
people J and 1 would have fought over the campaign again,
sooner than suffer the national honour to be tai nished.
In this state of Uiind, I addressed the following letter to
General Gates, whose honour I considered solemnly
pledged for the fulfilment of the convention, under wliich
the British army, trusting to the public faith, had sur*
rcijdered their arms.

'^Mhany, January loth, ±777.
« My dear Sir,

« It is reported here, that Congress have prohibited
General Burgoyne's embarkation until the convention is
ratified by his sovereign. I am equally hui't and alarm-
ed by this information, for I consider their detention iu-
admissible in the spirit of the treaty. I fear a timo-
rous circumspection has sullied our reputation, and in-
jured our cause. The alternative, on General Burgoyne's
embarkation, must have been his landing in Great Bri-
tain, or violating the treaty. The consequences in either
case would have been more important to us, than any
thing which can noxv happen. His arrival in Britain
would have more effectually stirred up commotions and
manifested our prowess, than all the exaggerated paper
representations which have been or can be exhibited ; and
I believe it will be every where acknowledged, that so
palpable a breach of the public faith, that basis of na-
tional tranquillity, as a violation of a convention, would
have drawn upon the nation the Just odium of all Europe,
and have multiplied our advocates proportionably. The
most celebrated writers on the laws of nature and of na-
tions, hold that « in all contests disputed by arms, whe-
ther seditions, insurrections, or rebellions, the public
faith ami the forms of war are to be held inviolable, else
how can an accommodation ever take place, without the

380 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, total extinction of one party."* They further say, that
•X. when an army is invested, and all communication with
its sove^'eign cut off, that very circumstance confers on
the commander the authority of the state, and whatever
he conforms to, agreeaJble to the duties committed to his
care, is promised in the name and by the authority of
Lis sovereign, who is as fully obliged to perform it, as if
he had promised it in his own person ; and that every
commander of an army has a power of agreeing to the
conditions on which the enemy admits his surrender j the
engagements entered into by him to save his life or his
liberty, with that of his men, are valid, as made within
the limits of his powers, and his sovereign cannot annul
them. These conventions have their limits, which con-
sist in not prejudicing the rights of the sovereign over
his subjects : — tiius an enemy may require from prison-
ers, ir) consideration of their release, that they shall not
carry arms against him during the war, having a right
to keep them prisoners till then. I conceive the ties by
which the conventionists were bound are dissolved, and
should the king of Great Britain ratify the convention,
which is both his interest and duty, I feel they cannot by
any subsequent act be restrained tVom bearing arms; and
I make no doubt of their acting against us next campaign.
I set out this day for Fort Stanwix, and hope on my return
to hear from you. The artillery and stores have been in
motion for their destination some time. Numbers have
deserted from the garrison since your departure : a want
of clothing is tiie ostensible cause of this conduct. The
commander wants stimulants, for I assure you the reins
of government are so relaxed, as to induce a-^no sort of
discipline. As this department is in a feeble, shattered
condition, I think it indispensable tliat the person who
comuiands next season, should be acquainted with the
resources and the geography of the country, before the
campaign opens — hence the necessity of his early ap^?

• Vattel, c. xii. § 152, 163, 164.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 881

pointment. In the confidence of friendship, I have offer- chap.
ed you my eentiments with freedom, which I always and ^^'
ever shall observe until prohibited.

« I am your obliged friend and ready serv't;
*' JA. WILKINSON.
" Major-general Gates.^

»

I set out for Fort Schuyler a few hours after writing Sets out
this letter, accompanied by my respected friend and con- 1°"^^"!*^
temporary Doctor Tillotson of Rhinebcck. The sleigh-
ing was excellent, and we made an interesting, though cold
journey. We visited Johnson Hall, the mansion of its
celebrated founder Sir William, the Mohawk Castle, the
humble dwelling of General Uerkimer, the Oriska Village Visits the
13 miles from Fort Schuyler, and passed over Herki- y-^^^g
mer*s field of battle. We reposed a day or two at the
fort, and while the rolls of muster and inspection, were
under preparation, we visited the Oneida Castle, where I
first witnessed the village and war dances of the Abori-
gines. We spent a night with these well bred Indians,
lodging in the house of the worthy and respectable mis-
sionary, the Rev. Mr. Kirkland, and taking leave of
them, the next morning returned to Fort Schuyler; and
having mustered and inspected the troops, we turned Returns to
about for Albany. ^^^'^y-

At that period, and it is only thirty-eight years since, improve.

the most western settlements of the state of New York, "^^"'^ '"

the west-
were limited to tlie German Hats, from whence we now cm parts

behold them pushed forward hundreds of miles to the of^'ew

\ork.
great lakes, and the St. Lawrence ; impervious forests

the abode of wild boasts, being transformed into fields
and meadows ; and the haunts of savages, occupied by
the neat cottage or splendid edifice, by towns, villages
and manufactories of almost every species. Happy peo- Appeil to
pie ! shew yourselves worthy of these divine benedictions, *'^'^ ^^^^'
by inculcating moral precepts and religious duties into
the heads and hearts of the rising generation j shew your-
selves worthy of the political blessings, derived from the
toil and tlie blood of your ancestors ; by reforming the

88:3 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, conduct of your public agents, and bringing theni back
to a sense of their duty, as servants employed and paid by
you, to consult the interests of the community, and not to
promote their own selfish projects j and resolve to per-
petuate the republic by correcting the misapplication of
your money; dissipated on foreign missions; on multiplied
offices and officers; on increased salaries and in number-
less devices, artfully contrived to extend the patronage,
and increase the influence of the executive; which, if not
seasonably checked, will swallow up the co-ordinate
branches of the constitution, and convert the government
ef the jMJople, to the use of the elect, as has happened in
all other countries.

On my return to Albany, I found a letter from the
President of Congress, advising me that I had been ap-
pointed* secretary to the board of war and ordnance by
that honourable body, which I answered on the 3d of Fe-
bruary, and the next day I received a most extraordinary
letter from Lord Sterling, to which I made an immediate
auswer ; the publication of these letters I deem essential
to the vindication of my character, against thejirst assas-
sin's blow^ which was aimed at it.

« Valley Forge Camp, Jan. 6th, 17T8.
« Dear Sir,
Letters « When I had the pleasure of seeing you at Reading it

toiTord "^^^^ mentioned^ that in a letter from General Conway to
SteiUng. General Gates the following words, viz. Heaven surely
is determined to save the American cause, or a weak Ge-
neral and bad councils had long since lost it, or words to
that effect. It was afterwards, it seems, frequently men,'
iioncd in camp, and Conway charged with having wrote
them. After you had lately been in camp, he says, that
he inquired of you whether you had seen the letter he
wrote to General Gates, that you said you had, and that
you had declared in the presence of several, that there
was no such words or any words to that effect in the let-

• See Journals of Congi-ess, Jai). 6, 1778.

genera! WILKINSONS. .mi

fcr. I wtll know that it is impossible you could have chap-
made any such declaration, but it will give great salisf ac- '''•
tion to many of you friends to know whether Conway
made such inquiry, and what was your answer; they
would also be glad to know, what are the words nf the
letter f and I should be vertj nmch obliged to you for a copy
*f that part of it.

" I am, dear Sir,

*« Your most obedietit,

« And humble servant,
« STERLING.
« Brigadier-general Wilkinson.'*

«< Albany f Feb. Ath, 1778.
« My Lord,

" Your letter of the 6th January I have just received,
and seat myself to answer the particulars.

« I perfectly remember spending a social day with
your Lordship at Reading (in family), in the course of
which the conversation became general, unreserved and
copious, the tenor of your Lordship's discourse and i\\^.
nature of our situation made it confidential. I cannot
therefore recapitulate particulai'S, or charge ray memory
with the circumstance you mention; but, my Lord, I dis--
dain low craft, subtlety, or evasion, and will acknow-
ledge it is possible in the warmth of social intercourse,
when the mind is relaxed and the heart is unguarded,
that observations may have elapsed which have not since
occurred to me. On my late arrival in camp Brigadier-
general Conway informed me that he had been charged
by General Washington, with writing a letter to Major-
general Gates which reflected on the General and tht
army. The particulars of this charge, which Brigadier
general Conway then repeated, 1 cannot now recollect, I
fcad read the letter alluded to, I did not consider the infor-
mation conveyed in his excellency's letter, as expressed
by Brigadier-general Conway, to be literal, and well re-
member replying to that effect in dubious terms; I had
no inducement to stain my veracity, were lever so prone

3S4.

MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, to that infamous vice, as Brigadier-general Conway in-
^^.^^^ formed mc he had justified the charge. »

*« I can scarce credit my senses, when I read the para-
graph in whicli you request an extract from a private
letter, which had fallen under my observation. / may
have been indiscreet, my Lord, but be assured I am not diS"
honourable.

<* I am, my Lord,

" Your obedient humble servant^
"JAMES WILKINSON.
" To Major-general Lord Sterling.^*

leaves
Albany
and pro»
ceeds to
Reading
and Lan-
caster.
Ascer-
tains that
General
Gates liad
dftnounced

This communication of Lord Sterling, as well as me-
mory serves me, was the first intimation I had received, of
my being implicated in the disclosure of Conway's letter tQ
General Washington ; it filled me with pain and indigna-
tion, and my answer to his Lordship's, was written in
concert with a friend and contemporary, James Cragie
esq. then apothecary-general to the northern department,
and since a resident of Cambridge near Boston, and was
carefully deposited in the post office. Although uncon-
scious of having spoken to Lord Sterling of Conway's
letter, I knew it was possible, because I had seen that
letter, and had heard it spoken of, in company at Easton,
as a matter of notoriety; and therefore I frankly acknow-
ledged the possibility of a circumstance, which I could
neither recollect, nor admit; it was due to candour, and
I paid the debt, little suspecting the extent of Lord Sterl-
ing's dishonourable conduct at the time.

I left Albany the 12th or 15th February, and with led
horses travelled as far as Reading in a sleigh, where I
mounted and reached Lancaster the 21st. On my arrival
at that place, certain reports, which I had heard indis-
tinctly in Reading, were confirmed by several oflScers of
my acquaintance, that General Gates had denounced me,
as the betrayer of Conway's letter, and spoke of me in
the grossest language.

I was shocked by this information ; I had sacrificed my
lineal rank at General Gates's request, I had served him

GENERAL WILlvlNSON. 38j

with zeal and fidelity, of wliicli he jmsscssed the stronj^- CUAP.
est evidence, and was ready to have laid down niy liCe '^
for liim ; yet lie had condemned nic unheard for ati act of ^'^'^^^"^
which I was perfectly innocent, and against which every
feeling of my soul revolted with hoiTor. The distance
between us was immense; he, an ohl niajor-i^eneral, who
hiid borne a commission in Bradihx k's defeat, the con-
queror of a whole British army, composed of chosen
troops, and commanded by a distin.i^uished general, had
been recently selected for the head of the war dcpartnientt
by the unanimous vote of Congress ; and was supported
by a powerful factiDU in that body, even against the com-
niandei' in chief; I, a boy of twenty, without expci'ience,
without patronage, without political friends of cimgrcs-
sional influence, whose character remained to be esta-
blished; the odds was indeed great; yet, although my feel-
ings and affections were outraged, my resolution was not
appalled, [ remembered the injunctions of a dying father,
I worsljipped honour as the jewel of my soul, and did not
pause for the course to be pursued; but I owed it to dis-
parity of years and rank, to former connexion, and the
affections of my own breast, to di'ain tiie cup of concilia-
tion, and seek an explanation, which 1 believed the expo-
sition of my correspondence with Lord Sterling would Corres-
pniduce, as it ought to have done; because it acquitted w*iUi^Lord
me of sinistt-r intention, and stamped tlie report of his Sterlinj?
Lordship to General Washington, with palpable false- **
hood. I halted on the 22(U and transmitted to General
Gates the follow ing letter by my servant, to which 1 re-
ceived the cruel and insulting answer which is annexed.

« Lancaster, Feb. 22d, 1778.
•* Sir,

*' >Vhen you reflect on the length and zeal of ray attach- Note to
ment to your interest, when you candidly weigh my stea- ciltts. an<
dy determined exertions for your emolument, and coolly unswer
consider the character I have ever sustained, you raust be
VOL. I. ' .1 C

386 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, sorry for the abuse you have oficrcd my reputation.
■ "What motive, Sir, could induce me, to injure you or your
correspondent. He, a stranger of vvliom 1 entertained fa-
vourable sentiments — you, my boasted patron, friend and
benefac'tor, whose cause I have uniformly asserted and
firudy maintained ; but. Sir, in spite of every considera-
tion, you have wounded my honour, and must make ac-
knowledgments or satisfaction for the injury.

<* In consideration of our past connexion, I descend to
that explanation with you, which I should have denied
an}' other man. The inclosed letters unmask the villain
and evince my innocence. My Lord sliall bleed for his
conduct, but it is proper I first see you.

«•' I am, with respect,

<« Your most humble servant,
<aAMES WILKINSON.
«♦ Major-general Gates"

« Sir,

" rork-toxvn, 23d Feb. UTS.

" The following; extract of a letter from General Wash-
ington to me will shew how your honour has been called
in question, which is all the explanation necessary upon
that matter, any other satisfaction you may command.

«< * I am to inform you then that Colonel Wilkinson in
his way to Congress, in the month of October last, fell in
with Lord Sterling at Reading, and not in confidence
that I ever understood, informed his aid-de-camp. Major
M<Willianis that General Conway had written thus to
you, «' Heaven has been determined to save your country,
or a weak General and bad counsellors would have ruin-
ed it." Lord Sterling from motives of friendship trans-
mitted the account with this remark, "the inclosed was
communicated by Colonel Wilkinson to Major M* Wil-
liams," such duplicity of conduct, I shall always think it
my duty to detect.' <

p

GENERAL WILKINSON. 887

*« After reading the whole of the above extract, I am cfiap.
astonished if you really gave Major M<Williams such in- ''^
formation how you could iiitiviatc to me, that it was pos-
sible Colonel Troup had conversed with Colonel Ilamil-
ton upon the subject of General Conway's letter.
" I am, Sir,

" Your humble servant,

"HORATIO GATES.

•'* Brigadier- general Wilkinson."

I immediately proceeded to York-town, where I jjur- Wilkinsgn
poscly arrived in the twilight, to escape observation ; cliTtahi*
there 1 found my eai'ly companion and friend Captain Stoddert
Stoddert,* recounted my wrongs to him, and requested messaSeto
him to bear a message to General Gates, whose manly t^eneral
proffer of any sutisfadion I might reqiiire, removed the which he
difficulties which might otherwise have attended the ap- refuses.
plication ; he peremptorily refused me, remonstrated
against my intention, and assured me I was running
headlong to destruction ; but ruin had no terrors for an
ardent young man, who prized his honour a thousand
fold more tlian his life, and who was willing to hazard
his eternal happiness in its defence. Pardon me high
Heaven! in pity to the frailties of my nature. Pardon
me divine Author of my being! for yielding to the tyran-
ny of fashion, the despotic prescriptions of honour, when
I sought, by illicit means, to vindicate the dignity of the
creature, whom thou hast formed after thine own like-
ness ; for the first time in our lives we parted in displea-
sure, and I accidentally met with Lieutenant-colonel Bur- Prevails
gess Ball of the Virginia line, whose spirit was as inde- b^^jo""*
pendent as his fortune, and he willingly became my i^ear a
friend ; by him I addressed the follnw ing note to General ^^^^^\
Gates, which 1 find without date, though it was delivered <^ates.
the same evening, (the 2Sd).

• Since Secretary of the Navy.

388

MEMOIRS BY

CHAP.
IX.

« I have (lischargod my duty to you and to my con-
science; meet mc to-morrow morning behind the English
church, and I will there stipulate the satisfaction which
you have promised to grant.
'^ I am,

" Your most humble servant,
"JAMES WILKINSON.
<« General Gates.^' ^

Gates's re-
ception of
that i^en-
tleman.

Captaih
Stoddert
arrives
from Ge-
neral
Gales, re-
questing'
.an inter-
view.

General

Gatfs's
explana-
tion.

Tiie general expression of this billet, was ralmlated t«
prevent unfair advantages, for, although Gcnfi'al Gates
had promised me satisfaction, I determined to avoid un-
necessary exposition; and tiierefore Colonel Ball was in-
structed to adjust time, and circumstances; the General
received him with complaisance, and made no difficulty
about arrangements, we were to meet at 8 o'clnck witk
pistols and without distance. We arose early the next
morning, had put our arms in order, and v/as just about
to repair to the ground, when Captain Stoddert called
on me, and informed me General Gates desired to speak
with me. 1 expressed my astonishment, and obser\ed it
was "impossible!'* He replied, with much agitation, "for
God's sake be not always a fool, come along and see him."
Struck with the manner of my friend, I inquired where
the General was? He answered, « in the street near the
door.'* The surprise robbed me of circumspection, I re-
quested Colonel Ball to halt, and followed Captain Stod-
dert; 1 found General Gates unarmed and alone, and was
received with tenderness, but manifest embarrassment;
he asked me to walk, turned into a back street and we
proceeded in silence till we passed the buildings, when ho
burst into tears, took me by the hand, and askjtul mc,
«' how I could think he wislied to injure me?'* I ^as too
deeply affected to speak, and he relieved my embaM-ass-
ment by continuing, "/injureyou,it is impossible, I should
as soon think of injuring my own child.'* This language

' GENERAL WILKINSON. 888

tiot only disarmed mc but awakened all my confidence, CHAP,
and all my tenderness; I was silent, and he added, "be- '^
sides there was no cause for injurinji^ you, as Conway ar-
knowledj?ed his letter, and has since said mucTi harder
things to Washington's face." Such language left mc no-
thing to require, it was satisfactory beyond expectation,
and rendered me more than content, I was flattered and
pleased, and if a third person, had doubted the sincerity
of the explanation, I would have insulted him; a long it is set-
conversation ensued, in which Lord Sterling's conduct "vviiknilfon
was canvassed, and my purpose respecting him made should at-
known, and it was settled I should attend at the war ^ar office
ofBce, in my capacity of secretary a few days, and then "'"^ ^^^^
have leave to visit the camp at Valley Forge, where Lord absence.
Sterling was quartered.

I attended at the war office, and I think found there, Coolness
the honourable Judge Peters and Colonel T. Pickering, GuSs"^'**
but my reception from the President, General Gates, did
not correspond with his recent professions, he was civil,
but barely so, and I was at a loss to account for his ( old-
iiess, yet had no suspicion of his insincerity. After the Wilkinson
lapse of a few days, I set out for the Valley Forge, and {b" vui^v
at Lancaster fell in with Doctor Craik, the associate of ^'oige.
Colonel Washington iu the war of 1756, and now the
most confidential friend of the commander in chief. I
had been intimate with him several years, and we com-
municated fieely on army affairs ; I learned from him, Remon-
that the brigadiers of the army had remonstrated to Con- ihe^brfjra-
gress, against the promotion of General Conway, and '•'^'"s ami
that forty-seven colonels had done the same thing with a^^ainst
respect to myself, among whom I discovered a number *-■""" -'.y's
who had, on my visit tu the camp at W liite Marsh in kmson's
November congratulated me on my promotion. Conway's P'"^""o-

tion.

appointment to the mspectorsliip ot tlie army, with the
rank ofina jor-general, after he had insulted the comman-
der in chief, was a splenetic measure of a majority of
Congress, as factious as it was ill Judged ; and I was Reflec-
comprehcnded ostensibly on the ground of principle, but thereon.

390 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, in fact, because I had been promoted on General Gates's
recommendation, and was considered his partisan;* such
are the baneful effects of party intrigues, which embrace
suspicions for facts, and, without discrimination, involve
in its horrible vortex, the good and the bad, the innocent
and the guilty. On receiving this information, 1 did not
hesitate a moment, but tendered my resignation to the
President of Congress, on the same principle, that I had
a year before resigned my lieutenant-colonelcy to Gene-
ral Washington; and as a testimony of their sense of my
patriotism, the Congress entered my letter on the jour-
nals.

In Congress. — Fridmjf March 6thf 177 S.

Minutes of tt The following letter of the 3d, from James Wiikin-
recoiding SO"* was read.

Wilkin-
son's re-
signation.

« Sir,

" I am informed the mark of distinction conferred on
me has occasioned a dissatisfaction in the army, and to
obviate any embarrassment which may result from this
disposition, by the consequent resignation of officers of
merit, I beg leave to relinquish my brevet of brigadier, /
wishing to hold no commission unless I can wear it to
the honour and advantage of my country, and this con-
duct however repugnant to fashionable ambition, I find

* Extract of a letter from Col. PFalter Stewart to Jllajor-^eneral Gales,
dated, Camp, Feb. 4t/i, 1778.

" General Wayne yesterday informed me, of some very improper
steps my old friend Wilkinson had made use of, respecting a letter to
you by Gen. Conway, which has really given me very great uneasiness.
I ever was sensible of Wilky's volatility and open heartedness, and
fear he might, in an unguardedmoment, mention something of the af-
fair to a person he looked upon to be his friend ; but depend upon it,
my dear Sir, his heart is truly good and so far from injuring you, (if
in his power) or betraying any confidence you might place in him, he
looks upon you as his patron, and is truly sensible of the many and
great obligations he is under to you ; but as I hope to see you in a
short time, I shall say nothing further on this subject at present."

GENERAL WILKINSON. 391

consistent with tFiose principles on which I early drew nay ciiai'.
sword in the present contest. '^

" 1 liavc the honour to be, Sir,

' " Your obedient humble servant,
"JAMES WILKINSON.
" The Hon. Henry Laurens esq.

Fresident of Congress."*

I met in Lancaster the honoured object of my tender- Wilkinson

est attachment, in whose society a Ibrtnitrht flitted away ^,^1'^ ^^

like a vision of the morn, and I did not reach the Valley Moyian to

Forarc before the 16th or 17th of the month. I took nuar-*'*^'"^'' *
•^ • messuge

tcrs with my friends Colonel Moylan, Colonel C. Blddlc, to Lord
Doctor Shippen, and other ofticers, at Moore Hall, and ^'^'"''"ff-
requested the former to deliver a peremptory message to
Lord Sterling, on the ground of his having misrepresent-
ed my conduct to the prejudice of my honour. This pro- Colonel
position was disapproved as being too precipitate, be- ^*"y'^"
cause a suitable acknowledgment from his Lordship, another
would be a more satisfactory reparation of the wroner, '""!'l' .

•' * ''' which IS

than taking his life or losing my own ; and because, in adopted.
case his Lordship refused to conform to my demand, then
I should be justified in appealing to the last rcSort. There
was not in the whole range of my frierids and acquain-
tances, and 1 might add in the universe, a man of more
sublimated sentiment, or who combined with sound dis-
cretion a more punctilious sense of honour, than Colonel
Moylan: I therefore could not resist the force of his ob-
servations, and consented to send his Lordship the fol-
lowing note, to which he immediately replied.

« .Moore Hally March 18//j, 1778.
" My Lord,

" The propriety or impropriety of your communicating Corres-
to his excellency any circumstance which passed at your j^uvee"
Lordship's board at Reading, I leave to be determined by Wilkinson,
your own feelings, and the judgment of the public ; but sicrlin".
as the affair has eventually induced reflections on mv in-

IX.

39S MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, tcj^rlty, the sacred duty I owe my lionoiir obliges «ie to
require from your Lordship's hand, that the conversa-
tion which you have published, passed in a private com-
pany ^ during a convivial hour. Colonel Moylan who de-
livers this is my friend, and will receive your reply.
« I have the honour to be,

«< Your Lordship's obedient servant,
« JA. WILKINSON.
»♦ The Hon. Major-general Lord Sterling — Camp.^*

« March 18th, ±77^,
•^ Dear Sir,

« As to the propriety of my communicating to his ex-
cellency General Washington a circumstance which hap-
pened in conversation at Reading, I have not the least
doubt of; nor can I conceive that your having mentioned
that very extraordinary paragraph will ever injure your
honour.

*' However tliat may be, I shall ever be ready to aver
the truth, and equally ready to give you the satisfaction
of having it under my hand, that the words which I did
communicate to his excellency ^* passed in a private com-
pany, during a convivial hour,^* but under no injunction
of secrecy. As to my having published this conversa-
tion, I do not know that I ever mentioned it since till
lately, when a certain gentleman asserted in company,
that you had denied that you had ever had any such con-
versation. This put me under the necessity of assertin|:
the contrary ; and of this I immediately wrote you, being
sure you never would deny it; by your silence on that
head since, I must conclude you never received my letter.
« I am, dear Sir,

" Your obedient servant,
« STERLING.
« James Wilkinson, Esq."

It is possible Lord Sterling might not have received
my letter of the 4th of February; but it seems im-

nENERAL WILKINSON. '^y^

probable, since it was written with tbe privity of Doctor CHAP.
Craigic, and carefully deposited in tliepostonice with my ^^'
own hands. A contrast of the ackno\vled(;nicnt contain-
ed in this letter of his Lordship with his information* to
General Washington from Reading, will establish my in-
nocence and the extent of my wrongs, and will stamp the
proper value on the candour of his Lordshiji; and the
following letter will manifest the interest General Wash
ington took in the^ affair.

« Valley Forge, March 21sf, irrs.
•' My Lord, .

*' In answer to your favour of this date, give me leave
to say, that I am well pleased with the termination of
your correspondence with Colonel Wilkinson. I sent for
that gentleman, after the conversation had with yonr
Lordship, and shewed him the letters which Mr. Harri-
son furnished you with a sight of; he seemed a good deal

surprised at G 's letters, and was not at all sparing

in his abuse of him and Conway.

« The arrangement of the two regiments as inclosed
by you, will be perfectly agreeable to me, and must 1
fancy be so to the * * *, unless it shoidd intcifere with
any general plan they may have in view for the reduction
of the sixteen additional battalions.

" The sooner you can furnish the characters of the
four Pennsylvania regiments in your division the better,
as Generals Reed and Wayne are I believe upon that bu-
siness with the whole Pennsylvania line.

« Colonel Burr must wait till more field oflirers re-
turn to camp before he leaves it. The daily ajjplication
for discharges and furloughs distresses me beyond mca-

• See General Gates's letter to General Wilkinson, Feb. ?"(!,
1778 : page 386, ante.

vol. I. 3 D

89 4f MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. supe. I am sorry to hear of your indisposition, but hope
it will soon go off.

i< 1 am your Lordship's most ob*t humble serv't,
*« GO. WASHINGTON.

« P. S. Upon re-examinin^^ the arrauj^ement inclosed,

I find first and second lieutenants, which are not to hQ

• in the new establishment. I also perceive that all the

officers,' nearly, are taken from Malcohn's regiment, is

this agreeable to Spencer?

<' Major-general Lord Sterling,**

Wilkinson A day or two after my arrival at camp, I was invited
todine^ to dinc at head quarters, and made an aptJogyj the next
with day Colonel T. Tilghman, an aid-de-camp to the com-

WaThi^no-. "lander in chief, with whom I had been long acquainted,
tonr. called on me, repeated the invitation, and observed, the

Gencr.ll wanted to see me. I informed Colonel T. of
the delicacy of my situation," *« that reports had gone
forth, charging me with betraying private confidence to
curry favour with the General, and that under such cir-
cumstances, I was persuaded he would excuse the point
of duty, and pardon me for avaoiding whatever might
countenance the calumny." The morning after. Colonel
Tilghman again called on me, and informed me from the
General, that it was concerning the circumstance to which
I had alluded he desired to see me, and I thereupon en-
gaged to dine with him.
Interview I went early agreeably to request, was kindly received,
and con- j^jj^j after a few minutes the General invited me into his

versation

with cabinet, and opened the subject of General Conway's

General je^ei., \ Conversation ensued, in which 1 took occasion

Washing- '

ton, to remark on the cruel misrepresentations of Lord Ster-

ling, disrkiiming any conespondence or even acquaint-
ance with M'Williams, and utterly denied the informa-
tion he had received from his Lordship. The General
spoke freely of the cabal which had been formed against
him, and mentioned the persons whom lie suspected to be

GENERAL AVILKINSON. . 395

.at Uie bottom of it; he expressed himself entirely satis- ciiap.
i'n^d with my conduct, but observed, that it might be ma- "^'
Ceriiil to mc, to know what had passed between Giiictal
Gates and Jiimself, respecting Conway's letter, and that
he had desirpd to see mc particuLirly on that subject;
that I had been charged with a serious olfence, hut that
the motives and the grounds were too plain, to make any
impt*ession on his mind injurious to me: he then called
for the correspondence witli General Gates, and laid be-
fore me tlie fi)llowing letters.

*fAlbantj December Sth, 1777.
« Sir,

" I shall not attempt to describe what as a private gen-
tleman I cannot help feeling, on representing to my mind
the disagreeable situation in whicii conndential letters,
when exposed to public inspection, may place an unsuspect"
ing correspondent; but as a public officer, I conjure your
excellency, to give me all the assistance you can, in
tracing out the author of the infidelity which put extracts
from General Conway's letters to me Into your hands.
Those letters have been slealinghj copied — but which of
them, when, and by whom, is to me as yet an unfathom-
able secret. There is not one officer in my suite, nor
amongst tjjose who have free access to me, upon w horn I
could with the least justification to myself, fix the suspi-
cion; and yet my uneasiness may deprive me of the use-
fulness of the worthiest men. It is / believe in your eX'
celkncifs power to do mc and the United States a very
important service, by detecting a wretch who may be-
tray me, and capitally injure the very operations under
your immediate directions.'^ For this reason. Sir, I beg
your excellency will favour me with the proof you can
procure to that effect. But the crime being eventually
so important, that the least loss of time may be attended
with the worst consequences; and it being unknown to
me, whether the letter came to you from a member of
Congress or from an officer, 1 shall have the honour of
* Evidently alliidinf^ to Colonel Hamilton .-

IX.

3y6 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, transmitting a copy of this to tlie President, that the Cou-
gress may, in concert with your excellency, obtain as soon
as jiossible a discovery, winch so deeply affects the safety
of the states. Crimes of that magnitude ought not to re-
main unpunished.

«< I have the honour to be, with the greatest respect,
« Your excellency's most humble

" and most obedient servant,

». HORATIO GATES.

«« His Excdlcmif Gen. Washington.''

♦< Valleij Forge, Jan. ith, 1777.
*.' Sir,

<« Youi* letter of the 8th ultimo, came to my hands a
few days ago, and to my great surprise informed me,
that a copy of it had been sent to Congress; for what rea-
son I find myself unable to account; but as some end
doubtless was intended to be answered by it, I am laid
under the disagreeable necessity of returning my answer
through the same channel, lest any member of that ho-
nourable body should harbour an unfavourable suspicion
of my having practised some indirect means, to come at
the contents of the confidential letters between you and
General Conway.

« I am to inform you then, that Colonel Wilkinson, in
Ills way to Congress in the month of October last, fell in
with Lord Sterling at Reading, and not in confidence
that I ever understood, informed his aid-de-camp, Major
M'Williams, that General Conway had written thus to
you :--.« Heaven has been determined to save your coun-
try, or a weak general and bad counsellors would have
ruined it.' Lord Sterling, from motives of friendship,
transmitted the account with this remark: *Thc inclosed
was communicated by Col. Wilkinson to Major M*Wil-
liams ; such duplicity of conduct I shall always think it
my duty to detect.'

" In consequence of this information, and without hav-
ing any thing more in view than merely to shew that gen-

GENERAL WILKINSON. 397

tieman tliat I was not unapprised of his intriguing dispo- chap
sition, I wrote him a letter in these words : — . "^

a Sir. — A letter which I received last night contained
the following paragraph : * In a letter from General Con-
way to General Gates, he says — Heaven has been deter-
mined to save your comitry, or a rveak general and bad-vcntn-
sellors would have ruined it.* 1 am, &c."

«< Neither this letter, nor the information which occa-
sioned it, was ever directly or indirectly communicated
by me to a single officer in this army out of my own fa-
mily, excepting the Marquis de la Fayette, who having
been spoken to on the subject by General Conway, ap-
plied for and saw, under injunctions of secrecy, the letter
which contained Colonel Wilkinson's information; so de-
sirous was I of concealing every matter that could in its
consequences give the smallest interruption to the tran-
quillity of this army, or afford a gleam of hope to the
enemy by dissensions therein.

<« Thus, Sir, with an openness and candour, which X
hope will ever characterise and mark my conduct, have
I complied with your request. The only concern I feel upon
the occasion, finding how matters stand is, that in doing this
I have necessarily been obliged to name a gentleman whom
I am persuaded, (although I never exchanged a word xvilh
him upon the subject,} thought he was rather doing an act
of justice than committing an act oj infidelity; and sure I
am, that till Lord Sterling's letter came to my hands, I
never knew that General Conway (who I viewed in the
light of a stranger to you) was a correspondent of yours;
much less did 1 suspect, that I was the subject of your con-
fidential letters. — Pardon me then for adding, that so far
from conceiving that the safety df the states can be affectedf
or in the snudlest degree injured by a discovery if this kind
—or that I should be called upon in such solemn terms to
point out the author — that I considered the information a^i
coming from yourself, and given with a friendly view to
forewarn and consequently forearm mc, against a sccrc!

ai)8 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, enemy, or in other words a dangerous incendiary — in which
character, sooner ^r later, this country will know General
Conway. — But in this, as in other matters of late, I have
found myself mistaken.

« I am. Sir,

" Your most obedient servant,
" GO. WASHINGTON.
*< The Bon. Major-general Gates.**

" York-town, January fZ5d, 1778.
" Sir,

*• The letter of the 4th inst. which I had the honour to
receive yesterday from your excellency, has relieved me
fi'om unspeakable uneasiness. I now anticipate the plea-
sure it will give you, M'hen you discover that what has
been conveyed to you for an extract of General Con-
way's letter to me, was not an information which friend-
ly motives induced a man of honour to give, that injured
virtue might be fore-armed against secret enemies. The
paragraph whicii your excellency has condescended to
transcribe, is spurious. It was certainly fabricated to
answer the most selfish and wicked purposes.

« I cannot avoid sketching out to your excellency the
history of General Conway's letter, from the time that it
came to my hands by Lieutenant-colonel Troup, my aid-
de-camp, to whom General Conway delivered it at Read-
ing on the 11th of October, to this time, as far as it has
affected me and the officers of my family,

« That letter contained very judicious remarks upon
that want of discipline, which has often alarmed your
Excellency, and 1 believe all observing patriots. The
reasons which, in his judgment, depnved us of the suc-
cess vvc would reasonably expect, were methodically ex-
plained by him ; but neither the «< weakness" of any of
our generals, nor "bad counsellor," weie mentioned;
and consequently cannot be assigned or imagined as part
of those reasons to which General Conway attributed
some of our losses. lie wrote to me as a candid observer,
as otlicr officers in every service write to each other, for

GENERAL WILKINSON. 399

obtaininj:^ better intelligence tlian that of newspapers, and chap,
that Ircedom renders such letters thus far confidential in '-^
some measure. The Judgment of the person who received
them, points out to him, according to time and circum-
stances, the propriety or impropriety attending their
being communicated, when no particular injunction of
secrecy was requested.

*< Particular actions rather than persons were blamed,
but with impartiality; and I am convinced that he did
not aim at lessening in my opinion the merit of any per-
son. His letter was perfectly harmless ; however, now
that various reports have been circulated concerning its
contents, tliey ought not to be submitted to the sidemn
inspection of even those who stand most higli in the public
esteem. Anxiety and jealousy would arise in tlic breast
of very respectable officers, who, rendered sensible of
faults wliich inexperience, and that alone, may have led
them into, would be unnecessarily disgusted, if they per-
ceived a probability of such errrors being recorded. Ho-
nour forbids it, and patriotism demands that I should re-
turn the letter into the hands of the writer. I will do it;
but at the same time I declare, that the paragraph con-
veyed to your excellency as a genuine part of it, was in
words as well as in substance a wicked forgery.

<« About the beginning of December I was informed
that letter had occasioned an explanation between your
Excellency ami that gentleman. Not knowing whether
the whole letter or part of it had been stealingly copied,
but fearing malice had altered its original feature, I own
Sir, that a dread of the mischiefs which might attend
this forgery, I suspected would be made, put me for
some time in a most painful situation. *

« When I communicated to the officers in my family
the intelligence I had received, they all intreated me to
rescue their characters from the suspicions they justly
conceived themselves liable to, until the guilty person
should he known. To facilitate the discovery, I wrote
your Excellency J but unable to learn whether Greneral
Conway's letter had been transmitted to you by a mem-

400

MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, ber of Congress or a gentleman in the army, I was
^^- afraid much time would be lost in the course of the in-
quiry, and that the states might receive some capital in-
jury from the infidelity of the person xvho I thought had
stolen a copy of the obnoxious letter,^ was it not probable
that tlie secrets of the army might be obtained and be-
trayed through the same means to the enemy ?— For this
reason. Sir, not doubting the Congress would most clieer-
fuUy concur with you in tracing out the criminal, I wrote
to the President, and inclosed to him a copy of my letter
to your excellency.

« About the time I was forwarding these letters, Bri-
gadier-general Wilkinson returned to Albany. I inform-
ed him of the treachery which had been committed, but
I concealed from him the measure I was pursuing to un-
mask the author. Wilkinson answered, he was assured
it never would come to light, and endeavoured to fix my
suspicions on Lieutenant-colonel Troup, who, said he,
mi^ht have incautiously conversed on the substance of
General Conway's letter with Colonel Hamilton, whom
yoH had sent not long before to Albany. I did not listen
to this insinuation against your aid-de-camp and mine.
I considered it even as ungenerous. But the light your
excellency has just assisted me with, exhibiting the many
qualifications which are necessarily blended togetlier in
the head and heart of General Wilkinson, I would not
omit this fact; it will enable your excellency to judge
■whether or not he would scruple to make such a forgery
as that which he now stands charged with, and ought to
be exemplarily punished. To attempt sowing dissensions
amongst the principal officers of the army, and rendering
thorn odious to each other, by false suggestions and for-
geries, is in my opinion a crime of the first magnitude;
it involves with it all the consequences of positive treason.
« That the forgery now in view was machinated for
injuring General Conway, and perhaps myself, in your
judgment, is now evident to me; and I trust the detection
will operate as it ought to operate upon your excellency,
* Again alluding to Colonel Hamilton.

GENERAL WILKiNSON. 401

as well as the members of tlie Congress, before whom your chap.
letter necessitates me to lay tliis answer. Tlie station of ^ ^J^^
tlic calumniator seems to Justify your excellency for liav
inp; believed, till now, tbat the extract was genuine; and
yet. Sir, I cannot help wishing you had sent n>c a copy
of it immediately after your explanation with General
Conway.

<« Would that your excellency's prediction relative to
him, had not been inserted in your letter, which came to
me unsealed through the hands of Congress.

« I sincerely wish the detection of this forgery may
render us all more cautious, and that to prosurc a fair
and (lis assionate explanation, wlienever insinuations are
made to the prejudice of respected characters, may be-
come an established rule in society as well as in public
business, througliout the United States.

« I am with unfeigned respect. Sir,

« Your excellency's most humble^
« and most obedient servant,

« HORATIO GATES.
*' His Excellency Gen. Washington.'*

"H. q. Valley Forge, Feb. 9th, 177 S.
« Sir,

*< I was duly favoured with your letter of the 23d of
last month, to which I should have replied sooner, had I
not been delayed by business that required my more im-
mediate attention.

<« It is my wish to give implicit credit to the assu-
rances of every gentleman ; but in the subject of our pre-
sent correspondence, I am sorry to confess, there Iiap-
pens to be some unlucky circumstances, which involun-
tarily compel me to consider the discovery you mention,
not so satisfactory and conclusive as you seem to think it.

" I am so unlmppy as to find no small difficulty in re-

v'onciling the spirit and import of your different letters,

and sometimes the diflerent parts of the same letter with

each other. It is not unreasonable to presume that your

vox. i„ 3 E

40^ MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, first information of my having notice of General Con-
*^" way's letter, came from himself; there were very few in
the secret, and it is natural to suppose that he being im-
mediately concerned, would be the most interested 'to
convey the intelligence to you ; it is also far from im-
probable, that he acquainted you with the substance of
the passage communicated to me: one would expect this,
if he believed it to be spurious, in order to ascertain the
imposition, and evince his innocence, especially as he
seemed to be under some uncertainty, as to the precise
contents of what -lie had written, when I signified my
knowledge of the matter to him. If he neglected doing
it, the omission cannot easily be interpreted into any
thing else than a consciousness of the reality of the ex-
tract, if not literally at least substantially. If he did not
neglect it, it must appear somewhat strange, that the for-
gery remained so long undetected, and that your first
letter to me fi'om Albany of the 8th of December, should
tacitly recognise the genuineness of the paragraph in
question, while your only concern, at that time, seemed
to be the " tracing out the author of the infidelity which
put extracts of General Conway's letters into my hands."
Throughout the whole of that letter the reality of the ex-
tracts is by the fairest implication allowed, and your only
solicitude was to find out the person who brought them
to light. After making the most earnest pursuit of the
' author of the supposed treachery, without saying a word
ab(rtit the truth or falsehood of the passage, your letter
of the 23d ultimo, to my great surprise, proclaims it " in
words as well as in substance, a wicked forgery."

<' It is not my intention to contradict this assertion, but
only to intimate some considerations which tend to induce
a supposition, that though none of General Conway's let-
ters to you contain the offensive passage mentioned, there
might have been something in them too nearly related to
it, that could give such an extraordinary alarm. It may
be said, if this were not the case, how easy in the first in-
stance to have declared there was nothing exceptionable
in them, and to have produced the letters themselves ia

GENERAL WILKINSON. 403

support of it? This may be thought the most proper ami C!i\P.
effectual way of refuting misrepresentations and remuv- '^
ing all suspicion. The propriety of the objections sug-
gested against submitting them to inspection, may very
well be questioned. The various reports circulatetl con-
cerning their contents were, perhaps, so many arguments
for making them speak for themselves, to place the matter
upon the footing of certainty. Concealment in an affair
which had made so much noise, though not by my mtuns,
will naturally lead men to conjecture the worst, and if will
be a subject of speculation even to candour itself. The
anxiety and jealousy you apprehend from revealing the
letter, will be very apt to be increased by suppressing it.

" It may be asked, why not submit to inspection a
performance perfectly harmless, and of course conceived
in terms of proper caution and delicacy? AVhy suppose
that « anxiety and jealousy would have arisen in the
breasts of very respectable officers, or that they would
liave been unnecessarily disgusted at being made sensible
of their faults, when related with judgment and impartia-
lity by a candid observer?" Surely they could not have
been unreasonable enough to take offence at a peiform-
ance so perfectly inoffensive, " blaming actions rather
than persons,'* which have evidently no connexion with
one another, and indulgently " recording tlie errors of
inexperience."

<« You are pleased to consider General Conway'sJet-
ters as of a confidential nature, observing that, .« time
and circumstances must point out the {Propriety or impro-
priety of communicatii'g such letters." Permit me to
inquire, whether, when there is an impropriety in com-
munication, it is only applicable with respect to the par-
tics, who are the subjects of them. One miglit be led to
imagine this to be the case, from your having admitted
others into the secret of your confidential correspondence,
at the same time that you thought it ineligible, it should
be trusted to those officers, whose actions underwent its
scrutiny. Your not knowing whether the letter, under
consideration, <f came to me from a member of Congress,

401 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP or from an officer," plainly indicates, tliat you had, ori-
'^" ginaily,coinmunicated it to at least one of that honoura-
ble body ; and I learn from General Conway, that before
his late arrival at York-town, it had been committed to
the perusal of several of its members, and was afterwards
shewn by himself to three more. It is somewhat difficult
to conceive a reason founded in generosity, for imparting
the free and confidential strictures of that ingenious cen-
sor, on the operations of the army under my command,
to a member of Congress, but, perhaps, << time and cir-
cumstances pointed it out." It must indeed be acknow-
ledged, that the faults of very respectable officers, not
less injurious for being the result of inexperience, were
not improper topics to engage the attention of members
of Congress.

« It is, however, greatly to be lamented, that this adept
in military science, did not employ his abilities in the
progress of the campaign, in pointing out those wise mea-
sures, which wepe calculated to give us, *« that degree of
success we might reasonably expect." The United States
have lost much, from that unseasonable diffidence, which
prevented his embracing the numerous opportunities, he
had in council, of displaying those rich treasures of
knowledge and experience, he has since so freely laid
open to you. I will not do him tlie injustice to impute
the penurious reserve, which ever appeared in him upon
such occasions, to any other cause than an excess of mo-
desty, neither will I suppose, he possesses no other merit
than of that after kind of sagacity, which qualifies a man
better for profound discoveries of errors, that have been
committed, and advantages that have been lost, than for
the exercise of that foresight and provident discernment,
which enable him to avoid the one and anticipate the
other. But willing as I am to subscribe to all his pre-
tensions, and to believe that his remarks on the opera-
' lions of the campaign were very judicious, and that he
has sagaciously discanted on many things, that might
have been done, I cannot help being a little sceptical, as
to his ability to have found out the means of accomplish-

GENERAL WILKINSON. 405

ing thcni) or to prove the sufficiency of those in onr pos- chap.
session. These minutije f suspect he did not think worth ''^'
his attention, particularly as they might not be within the
compass of his views.

« Notwithstandin.qthc hopeful presages, you arc pleas-
ed to figure to yourself, of General Conway's firm and
constant friendship to America, I cannot persuade my-
self, 10 retract the prediction concerning him, which you
so emphatically wish had not been inserted in my last ; a
Letter acquaintance with him, than I have reason to think
you have had, from what you say, and a concurrence of
circumstances oblige me to give him but little credit for
the qualities of his heart, of which, at least I beg leave to
assume the privilege of being a tolerable judge. Were it
necessary, more instances than one might be adduced
from his behaviour and conversation, to manifest that he
is capable of all the malignity of detraction, and all the
meannesses of intrigue, t(» gratify the absurd resentment
of disa])pointed vanity, or to answer the purposes of per-
sonal aggrandisement and promote the interest of a
faction.

« I am with respect, Sir,

<« Your most obedient servant,

" GO. WASHINGTON.
«< Major-general Gafes.^*

This exposition unfolded to me a scene of pei-fidy and ind»gTia-
duplicity, of which I had no suspicion, and compared fv'^ted^by
.with General Gates's explanation to me, at York-town, ^Vllkin.
must excite the abhorrence of every man of honour ; I e°pysu[on
certaiidy gave vent to my feelings in a burst of indigna- of General
tion, but did not confine my reproaches to Generals air/Lonl
Gates and Conway; because Lord Sterling was equally Sterling's
culpable for availing himself of the vile subserviency of his '

aid-decamp, M*Williams, to misrepresent me in the seci'ct
information conveyed by him to General Washington; in
consequence of which General Gates, had formed suspi-
cions injurious to Colonel Hamilton, and designed his
artlul letter of the 8lh December in the expectation oT

4JDG MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, detecting the thief and disgracing the receiver; but being
*^' mortified and chagrined hy his disappointment, he at-
tempted to vindicate Conway, hy converting Lord Sterl-
ing's information into a ft)rgery, of which, to soolh his
mortification and resentment, he determined to make me
• the author ! Sad requital for all my services ; monstrous
deed! the justice of Heaven soon precipitated him from
the pinnacle of undeserved fame to the abyss of humilia-
tion— an object of compassion.*

But Lord Sterling in l)is letter to me of the 18th of
March, explicitly admits that the conversation at Read-
ing respecting Conway's letter, " passed in a private
company dtiring a convivial hour^" which flatly contra-
dicts his report to General Washington and acquits me
of dishonour; the whole tenor of General Gates's let-
ter, to General Washington of December 8th, admits
the existence of the fact which he afterwards denies, and
the charge he makes, that «» those letters have been
sTEALiNGLY COPIED," emanated from the suspicion he

* " September 4th, 1781.

« Dear Sir,

" I wish this letter may find you safe at home, and that you and the
financier have effected every good purpose hy your journey. In re-
gard to myself, (for I know nothing of public affairs,) I remain in a
most distressful situation, neither Congress nor General Washington
having deigned to give me any answer to the letters, 1 wrote them
upon my leaving Philadelphia. Oh P s had I never left my peace-
ful cottage and paid but half the attention to my private concerns
which T paid to the public's, my son had been alive, and my circum-
stances infinitely beyond what they now are; but by serving the Unit-
ed States l have lost one and almost ruined the other. 1 am now a
General without pay, without provisions, without forage, and without
every thing I ought in honour and conscience to be supplied with-
The most implacable enemies, seldom carry resenl.nents to such
enormous lengths as those praciised upon me. The base Carthage-
ne;ans murdered Zantippus, and the cruel Spaniards murdered Colum-
bus with chains; but I trust, American independence will be marked
with more generous characters. I cannot write more than to request

you will present our compliments to Mrs. P s and family.

" Youi-'s truly,

4 " HOR.^TIO GATES.
»« JR. p s, Esq."

GENERAL WILKINSON. 407

attached to Colonel Hamilton, which alone could have in- cn.\P.
duccd him to stir the inquiry, in the awful and exigent '^
manner he did in that letter; nor could any less extraor-
dinary motive, have induced him to hazard the violation
of the rules of decorum and the principles of service, by
addressing the commander in chief on a subject of ex-
treme delicacy, in an open letter transmitted through the
President of Congress. But I trespass on the time of
the reader, in this attempt to throw light on a subject, so
ably and candidly discussed, at the time, by General
Washington himself, as to cover his adversary with the
shame and humiliation, betrayed in the following letter
abounding with adulation and hypocrisy; wherein he ap-
pears to abandon the question and tacitly acknowledge,
that he had been overreached by his own artifices.

« Fork, Feb. 19//i, 1778.
« Sir,

« Yesterday I had the honour to receive your excel-
lency's letter of the 9th instant, and earnestly hope no
more of that time so precious to the public, may be lost
upon the subject of General Conwaifs letter^ whether that
gentleman does or does not deserve the suspicions you ex-
press, wo^dd be entireltj indifferent to me, did he not pos-
sess an office of high rank in the army of the United
States, for that reason solely, I w ish he may answer all
the expectations of Congress. As to the gentleman I
have no personal connexion with him, nor had I any cor-
respondence, previous to his xvriting the letter which has
given offence; nor have I since written to him,
save to certify what I know to be the contents of the letter :
he, therefore, must be responsible; as I licartily dislike con-
troversy even upon my own account and much more in a
matter wherein 1 was only accidentally concerned. In
regard to the parts of your excellency's letter addressed
particularly to me / solemnly declare that J am of no fac-
tion; and if any of mj letters taken aggregately or by
paragraplis convey any meaning, which in any construc-
tion is oficnsive to your excellency, that was by no means

^08 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, the intention of the writer, after this, I cannot believe
*^' your excellency will either suffer your suspicions or the
prejudices of others, to induce you to spend another mo-
ment upon this subject.

« With great respect, I am. Sir,
« Your excellency's

«< Most obedient humble servant,
"HORATIO GATES.
•* His Excellency General Washington."

« Valley Forge, Feb. Qith, 1778.
« Sir,

<« I yesterday received your favour of the 19th instant,
I am as averse to controversy as any man, and had I not
been forced into it, you never would have had occasion
to impute to me, even a shadow of a disposition towards
it. Your repeatedly and solemnly disclaiming any offen-
sive views in these matters, which have been the subject
of your past correspondence, makes me willing to close
with the desire you express of burying them hereafter in
silence, and, as far as future events will permit, oblivion.

« My temper leads me to peace and harmony with all
men, and it is particularly my wish to avoid any personal
feuds or dissensions with those who are embarked in the
same great national interest with myself, as every dif-
ference of this kind must, in its consequences, be in-
jurious.

<« I am. Sir,

« Your most obedient servant,

« GO. WASHINGTON.
« Major-general Gates."

But in respect to this letter of Conway about which
such a noise was made, General Gates was so much
pleased* with it, that he read it in triumph, and Conway
himself, flattered by the applause he acquired from the

* See Gates's letter tp Conway, Dec. Sd, 1777, page 374.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 409

enemies of General Wasliington (or lliis pprforniiincr, chap.
yielded to the amour prnpre, and made no serret of the '^•
contents;* and to these concurrent Tacts, the opinion of '"'^"^^""*^
the bosom friend of Genei-al Gates might he added, to ab-
solve me from the foul imputation levelled at my honour.
Major-general Charles Lcc thus expressed himself in ;i
letter to General Gates, bearing date, " Philadelphia,
March i29th, 1779. With respect to Wilkinson, I really
think he has been a man more sinned against than any, I
think (at least from all I have been able to gather) that
lie, as well as your honour, has been made a most cre-
gious dupe in the affair between you. // is a dark black *
piece of business, and I have no doubt will one day be dis-
closed to theivorld: he was put on a wrong scent, when he
aimed his pistol at your head, and you when you aimed at
Iiis. Alexander (pas le grand mais le gros) and his Ile-
phsestion M<\ViIliams were the proper objects of your re-
spective resentments." And to fulfil the prediction of
this singular compound of good and evil, of greatness and
littleness, was among the incitements wliich determined
me to undertake the toilsome duty, of leaving behind me
tliesc i-ecords of my independence, my disinterestedness,
my innocence, my honour, and my persecutions.

After perusing the letters placed before me by General
Washington, 1 explained to his entire satisfaction. Gene-
ral Gates's scandalous, but cunning allusion to my ob-
servation respecting Colonels Hamilton and Troup, and
requested a copy of the letters, with which! was furnish-
ed; I retired soon after dinner to my quarters, I confess
in no very pleasant mood, and determined to resign my
appointment of secretary to the war department, which I
carried into execution a few days after in the following
letter.

" Reading, March 29th, 177S.
♦< Sir,

" While 1 make my acknowledgments to Congress for
the appointment of secretary to the board of war and

• See Gordon, pa£^e 306.~Graydon's Memoirs, page 278.

VOX. I. 3 F

MEMOIRS BY
^10

IX that office ; but after the ^^« , Gates, the pre-

, X ..a. previously reside. ".y^^^-X^X

„e,a. ™ grounds of P— " ^ ^st ,„, kno.uage
commission «''="''""''' .*'"7"a„ence of General Gates,
revoked ; yet the ■J""!'"''" 'f"™" wl,ioh prevailed

,„, «,e fends ^^^^^ZZ^^^S^^^y *"- "T*
in Congress and in the aimj ^^^^_

It em^oy ; bnt on the ^^^-/^^^tl ^.hf ar'my «f the

gress appointed me f^^^^'f^Zt^i for the foUowing
United States, v-hich office I accepted 1

reasons. , , • circulation, that I

,,t._It discredited a report P"* " ^ ^^^, ^^e public
had by my conduct to General Gatea.to.

confidence. „ir„rtions by associating me with

2d._lt gratified my affections by ^^^^ ^^

„y military friends who were o^ ^^ j.,^,,,

-•■«- »^ t"1 Cue, O. Williams, H. Lee. ^c;
Smallwood, Knox, Wayne,

'"* .,, imv leading passion, by furnishing me

3d._It indulged my "=*'""Y u^ipate in the opera-
the opportunity to witness and paiticip

tions of the war. „,»grribed to these memoirs,

1 regret that the limits V'^'^' j^^^y, „f the

should compel me in this plac , t to -ny ^^^ ^^

incident. ..f the -"'"^'^'t:^, nation of conspicu-
servation,or are founded on tM . ^^^^ ^^.

„u, actors in the most inte estmg c™ j ^„, ,,j,e.
tical knowledge is "-7;^^ ^^ :^^;%„ the statesman
rience, which furnish the ablest guiu

GENERAL >VILKINSON. 411

as well as the soldier. At a lime of more leisure and chap.
convenience I shall resume the subject, ajid complete '^
what I have begun, being persuaded tliat however I may
fail to interest or amuse the reader, I shall perpetuate
some facts which may be serviceable to the future liisto-
rian. At pres* nt to compass the objects before me, and
fulfil my engagements, I am obliged to invite the atten-
ti(m of my readers to matters of more recent date, wliich,
if not so interesting, may be found more useful.

41S MEMOIRS BY

CHAPTER X.

J glance at affairs on the -western frontier in the autumn of
1806. — Aggressions of the citizens of the United States,
with the connivance of the government, — Secret missions
of Shaler and Robinson. — Declaration of Lord Temple
in 176S. — Jpplicuhle to our own circumstances.—Salu-
iarij policy towards the Spanish Cortes, and the conse-
quences.— Mr. Madison and Dr. Eustis. — Examination
of the polictj to be pursued relative to the Mexican pro-
vinces.— Their soil, climate and productions. — Effects of
their emancipation. — Cause of the reflections made there-
on.— Report of a tour from JVacogdoches to the city of .
Mexico and from thence to Vera Cruz> and A''ew Orleans.

CHAP. The pretensions of the United States to tlie unset-

X

^^.-Y'^^j ^^^ western boundary of Louisiana, induced the Spanisli

government in the spring of 1806, to push forward a mi-
litary corps and take possession of the country east of the
Sabine river, as far as the Arroyo Honda, a small rivulet
within six miles of Natchitoches, which the Spanish com-
mander, Governor Herrara, claimed as the ancient boun-
dary of the province of Texas. To repel the invasion,
the President of the United States ordered a small body
of troops, to be assembled at Natchitoches, where I found
them unprepared, even, in the indispensable article of am-
munition ; as soon as this detachment was equipped for
action, I advanced against the intruders, who prevented
a collision of arms, by suddenly withdrawing behind the
Sabine; and a pacific convention ensued, by which it was
stipulated, that the ground between the Sabine and the
Arroyo Honda, should not be entered on by the citizens
orsubjectsof either party, pending the discussions between
the two governments. This convention was respected by
the Spaniards, but little regard was paid to it by the citi-
zens of the United States. Subsequent to this incident,
sundry aggressions have been made on the province of

GENERAL WILKINSON. 413

Texas, by our citizens in that quarter ; not under the chap.
direct authority of our government, but, from thefollowing ^
circumstances it has been presumed, with its connivance.

In the years 1812-13, a Mr. Shaler, who was consi-
dered a secret agent of the United States, took his station
at Natchitoches, and I have good cause for belief, that
this gentleman proceeded to the city of St. Antonio, and
there joined the armament of General Toledo ; but the
adverse fortunes of the patriots, obliging him to retire
from the Spanish province, he returned to the city of
Washington, and has since received a foreign appoint-
ment of high trust. About tlie same time a Doctor Ro-
binson, whom I had employed to accompany Captain
Pike, in exploring the sources of Red River, was sent by
the government, on a secret expedition, into the internal
Spanisli provinces, where he continued several months,
and I saw him at New Orleans, as he returned to the
seat of government to make his report, since which time
I know not what has become of him ; he was a favourite
of General Pike, a man faithful to his country, and of
great hardihood and enterprise. I am unacquainted with
the particular service, on which those gentlemen were
employed, for although in the chief military command,
on the Mississippi, and possessing tenfold knowledge of
the topography and population of the Mexican provinces,
and of the political views of the Mexicans, founded on
more than twenty years research, I received no intima-
tion of the objects of those missions.

In the year 1763, when the celebrated William Pitt
and his whig associates, were struggling against the cur-
rent of executive influence, the increasing corruption of
the British cabinet, and the party behind the throne, the
virtuous Lord Temple exclaimed, " I detest with ferven-
cy and sincerity, a government of sccrcsy, hypocrisy and
treachery," and it rests with the people of these states,
whom it vitally interests, to decide how far these deform-
ed features may apply, to the administration of ouv own
republican government j nor is, it unworthy of inquiry,
whether official malversations have not been couutenau-

f 14 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, ced, truths suppressed, and frauds and misrepresenta'
tions resorted to, to uphold personal ambition, and favour
individual interests, in preference to the public weal.
The public weal ! alas ! it has been long since sacrificed
to factious influence ; and the obliquity of treachery, is
preferred to the rectitude of integrity.

To recur to our Spanish relations, although it might
be presumptuous for me to say, what ought to have been
the conduct of the executive towards that nation ; yet, I
have no hesitation to declare, if the decision had rested
with me, the Cortes would have been acknowledged and
their minister received, at a time, when the nation was
engaged in defence of those sacred rights, which they as-
sisted us to establish. Such a decision would have met
the manly feelings of the country, and fostered the love
of liberty in our own bosoms; it would have enlivened
public spirit, and pointed the virtue of the patriot, with
the honour of the man ; and what would have been the
result of this magnanimous policy ? I am almost autho-
rised to assert, and do verily believe, that our claims for
spoliatiojis would have been cancelled, by the concession
of the Floridas, and the western limits of Louisiana would
have been adjusted to our satisfaction : and thus the
grounds of future wars would have been extinguished.
But could we expect to find spirit or patriotism, or pub-
lic virtue, in President Madison? Yes! Doctor Eustis has
proclaimed to tlie world, that he is «« the most perfect of
men," and for the discovery, the Doctor has been recom-
peused with a diplomatic appointment, where none was
necessary, at the expense of an hundred thousand dollars
of the public treasure ; a high price for a spurt of adulation.
But the error is irrecoverably past j and, now, should
we inquire for that course of policy towards Spain, which
may be most favourable to the United States, we shall
find the question wrapped in perplexities, which deeply
involve the best feelings and interests of confederated
America. I will hazard a summary analysis of the sub-
ject, in the hope, that however foreign to the pursuits of
my life, I may perchance give birth to a suggestion, sus-

GENERAL WILKINSON. 410

Ceptible of improvement by those who may be endowed chap.
with sii|K'rior iiitelligenre. ^

It will be admitted un all hands, that the inte.Q;rity of
the union is the palladium of our political salvation, and
the prt'scrvatinn of the national government, indispensa-
ble to our social rights and happiness ; these form, or
should form, the great primary objects of our cares and
solicitudes, and of consequence that course of policy ought
to be preferred, which is best calculated to preserve and
perpetusite them. Then let us inquire, whether the uninn
and the constitution of these states, may be best supported
and protected, by restraining our enterprise to legitimate
bounds, and confining our political pursuits to our own na-
tional limits; leaving all other powers and people, t(» the
unmolested enjoyment of those indefeasible rights, which
we ourselves claim ; « to manage our own affairs in our
own way ?" or whether those fundamental rights and in-
terests may be best secured, by stepping over the national
bounds, and violating the sovereignty of a power at peace
with us, expressly to establish the independence of a peo-
ple, solicitous for an alliance with us, founded on local in-
terests and political sympathy ; and who in a state of
freedom, would, from their proximity and their popula-
tion, become a powerful ally ; or reduced to a state of
vassalage under an enterprising prince, might, from the
same causes, be converted into unfriendly neighbours, or
dangerous enemies.

The candid examination of these propositions in their
order, will on one hand present to the citizens of tlie
United States, the sources of peace, safety, progressive
improvement, national prosperity and individual happi-
ness, with the full enjoyment of those rights, powers and
relations, which are essential to the peaceful adjustment
of our controversies with Spain, by amicable negoc iation
on grounds of equity. But on the other hand, a very dif-
ferent prospect is presented to the American people, more
glorious indeed but less felicitous ; we behold it pregnant
with war and productive of expense, but it will increase
our present power, exalt our national character, swell

416 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, our political importance, open to us new sources of wealth
^' and give liberty to millions. This is the fair side of tl>e
picture J let us look at the reverse, it will augment exe-
cutive patronage and multiply the sources of corruption;
it will open a boundless range, to the enterprise and am-
bition of our adventurous countrymen; will dissipate our
population, and by distending the bounds of the union
will accelerate its dissolution.

Sucli are the political consequences, but let ns see what
may be the natural eflfects, of our political association with
independent Spanish America. The Mexican kingdoms
taken in their extent, from the isthmus of Darien to the
source of the Rio Bravo, produce a greater variety of
necessaries, comforts and luxuries, than any equal por-
tion of the globe ; where, besides, can we find every fruit
and every product, which grows in the western hemis-
phere, with lead, iron, copper, silver, and gold ? the sur-
face of this section of the Spanish Indies is diversified by
hills, vales, mountains, and plains, the arable part of
which is represented to be exceedingly luxuriant; it
abounds with flocks and herds, and its population at the
present time can be little short of eight millions, which
under a free government must increase rapidly, the cli-
mate being divine; the cotton plant when cultivated is
quadrennial, the third crop being the most productive; it
diflcrs from that of the United States in colour and qua-
lity, and I have understood is preferable. The soil in
the appropriate latitude is very favourable to the culture
of sugar^ and I have seen specimens from Vera Cruz of
superior quality. Self-government in such a region will
expand the intellect, and must excite enterprise and in-
dustry, which will soon be followed by the civil arts,
agriculture and commerce; and then the immense plains of
Texas, embracing millions of acres, may be changed from
a state of nature into compact sugar and cotton planta-
tions, and Mattagorda become a port of primary import-
ance.

"With the most favourable dispositions towards the
Mexican people, whose cause cannot be indifferent to a

Gfl^NERAL WILKINSON. 417

man who worships liuinan rights, as the ricliest earthly cii\p.
treasure, I have been led by the paramount duty to tny "^
country to submit to my felh)W citizens, these limited ^"^""""^^^
"Views of a most important question to themselves and
posterity. There can be no df)ubt that the independence
of the Mexican kiniijdoms may he established by the mere
volition of the United States, and if we consult our fcel-
iu^a only, that sympathy which springs out of the analogy
of their present circumstances to our own formercondition,
would impel us to take arms for their emancipation ; but
if we temper our sensibilities with sound discretion and
sober reason, suggestions well worthy consideration may
arise out of the paramount obligations of self-pri'servation.

With due deference I submit these speculations to the
goofi sense of my countrymen, and shall proceed to lay
before them the substance of a report, which, in the pre-
sent agitation of Mexican affairs, cannot fail to interest
the reader.

As soon as I had disengaged myself from the Spaniards
at the Sabine River, in the autumn of 1S06, and was sa-
tisfied an illicit project was on foot, which menaced the
Spanisli provinces, as well as the peace of the United
States, 1 deteruiined, on grounds of public duty and pro-
feKsij)nal enterprise, to attempt to j)enetrate the veil,
which concealed the topographical route to the city of
Mexico, and the military defences which intervened,
feeling that the equivocal relaticxns of the two countries
jusiified the nise. Vo facilitate my views, I prepared a
suitable passport, and ctnnmitted the execution of the dcr
sigji to a dear and honoured friend, whose zeal and pa-
tridtism, were unequalled but by his integrity, and ho-
uour, and his fitness for the undertaking.

" To all Persons whom these Presents may concern: —

♦' Know Ye — Tiiat wlieieas , at the head of a

powerful combination of lawless citizens of tlic United
States, in violation of the laws of the said states, and
without the privity of Ihc government, is preparing to
carry an expedition into the territories of his Catholic

VOL. I. 3 G

418 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. Majt'sty, a prince at peace with tiie United States; I
^- have thought proper, agreeably to the principles of good
faith, and to exonerate my government from any par-
ticipation in the sinister project, to authorise the bearer

hereof , to pass all guards and garrisons of the-

United States, and to proceed to the city of Mexico, for
the purpose of rendering to the viceroy a detailed report
of said 's plans and designs.

« Given at Natchez, territory of the Mississippi, No-
vember 15th, 1806. Witness my hand and seal of arms.

[seal.] (Signed) « JA. WILKINSON.'*

Extract from a report rendered to Brigadier-general TVilkin-

soiif by Col. , dated JVe7v Orleans, Mar. 7 thy 1807.

« I am about to give you an account of my late trip,
which being altogetlier from memory, cannot be so cor-
rect as I could desire, or you may expect. I have becu
hurried over a road of more than twelve hundred mi'Ies,
fearful of making inquiry lest I should be suspected,
and obliged therefore to trust to transient observation,
and the information incidental to conversation.

«< To avoid confusion, I have drawn up a description
of the route and distances, which you will find annexed;
and in this letter I shall confine myself to such observa-
tions and occurrences, as I can clearly recollect and are
worthy of notice.

« I arrived at Nacogdoches without obstruction on the
29th November. At this place Governor Herrera* was
in command, to whom I shewed your passport, whick
gave him much alarm. The place I filled in the cam-
paign, gave me unexpected importance, but he was very

anxious to know every thing about , and his plans.

I said cnougli to increase his apprehension; observing, I
was prohibited giving the particulars to any person but
the viceroy, pretending great indifference whether I pro-
ceeded or not.

* This gentleman was made prisoner at St. Antonio, by a body of
insurgents, and with a number of officers, was murdered in cold
blood.

GENTiRAL WILKINSON. 419

" After a delay of four days lie informed me I might chap.
proceed, and tliat lie would send his son wilh me, under ^
tfie very civil pretence of accommodating me, but in fact

to have a watch over me. He told me and ■■ ■

were at St. Antonio, and advised me to leave that place
on my right, and pass by La Bahia. It seemed, tiiat
having made up his mind to let me go on, he was de-
sirous of having tlic credit of sending me.

" I accordingly set out on horseback, accompanied by

young , on the (3th of December; but on my arrival

at La Bahia, found a messenger with an invitation, but
ill effect an order, from , to visit him at St. Anto-
nio. Here I found the Captain-general and Governor

. He received me very politely, and after having my

passport explained, appeared satisfied, and observed ♦* it
was a strong evidence of good faith;" but seemed de-
sirous to receive every thing I had to communicate, and
to save me the trouble of a ride to Mexico, by expatiating
on the length of the route, and the difficulties 1 should

have to encounter; but the objection I made to was

repeated to him, and had the same effect, for I was con-
sidered under military command, (in spite of whatever I
could say to the contrary,) and therefore had no dis-
cretion left mc. I liad about an hour's conversation with
this gentleman, during wliich he requested to with-
draw; he seemed to be well satisfied with the result of
the last campaign, and expressed strong wishes that the
peace of the two countries should be preserved. I found
him a man of the world and of information.

«I learnt that his government was quite independent
of the viceroy, and that he was empowered to demartd
from him, six thousand regular troops for the defence of
his provinces, wlienever he judged it to be necessary ;
that he had made this demand the last year, but that the
viceroy had sent him only militia ; it was however inti-
mated, that the case would be different the approaching
season.

" He gave mc to understand that his foi*oe was formi-
dable, and that the frontier woidd be reinforced this

^to ^ Memoirs by

CHAP, spring; but nothing fell from liim indicative of an hosMlu
^ intention I'^wards the United States; yet he contradicted

himself, for speaking of with detestation, he said,

" He wished he had troops to enable him to co-operate
M'ith us."

" As I did not resume my route by La Bahia, this
may be the most proper place to offer the reflections
which arose from my view of the situation of that place.
It is a paltry village, situate on an eminence on the right
bank of the river St. Antonio, about thirty miles from
its ) efflux into the bay of St. Bernard, or Matagorda,
which is capable of admitting vessels of any burthen, and
of receiving a fleet. I am pretty well assured, that the
Spaniards are preparing to form a strong establishment
at this point, and to make it a place of arms; and I have
no doubt it will be found an important position, to op-
pose any irruption into the interior provinces from this
quarter, which I believe to be the only route by which
a successful attempt can be made, to conquer or rescue
the kingdoms of Mexico : tiierefore, should the United
States lind it necessary, to act for or against that coun-
try, it should be a primary object to get possession of
this port, which from its situation could be easily defend-
ed, and where our stores of ammunition, artillery and
provisions should be deposited ; as no obstacle to the
march of an army will be found between Nacogdoches
and that place, tlie intermediute country being, as you
will )bscrve by the adjoined notes, almost a continual
plain, with no rivers which are not easily fordable, ahd
without defiles.

« I left General — ■ — on the 20th of December, and
took the direct route from St. Antonio to Larredo, on the
left bank of Rio Grande, which I reached on the 24th,
the distance being computed at 120 miles, making a dif-
ference of miles in favour of the route by La Bahia^
which is also preferable on account of water. From Na-
cogdoches to this place, we pass through a country wild,
uncultivated, and generally bare of wood, but of luxuriant
goil> and yet exhibiting the miserable settlements of Na-

GENERAL WILKINSON. 421

cogdorlics, St. Antonio, La Bahia and Larrcdo only, with rjn ai*.
a population of eight or ten thousand 8(»uls, strangers to ^
the (ivil arts, and suhsisting principally by the chase.
This country abounds with deer, buffaloe and wild horses,
but furnishes few domestic herds or Hocks.

*f I crossed the Rio Grande on Christmas day, and
rearhcd Monte del Rey, on the first of January, passing
through two or three villages on my route. The popu-
lation increases after we leave Larredo, and the country
abounds with domestic animals, almost beyond credibi-
lity ; the price of a bull or cow (there are few oxen) being
from three to six dollars, of a sheep from half a dollar
to a dollar, and in proportion for horses and mules, in
thousands and tens of thousands.

" From Rio Grande the country rises, and you find
tlie surface broken as you approach Monte del Rey, with-
in tliirty or forty miles of which place, you first discern
distant mountains. This is a small city, the capital of
the province of New Leon, and subject to the viceroy of
Mexico, situated near the foot of a mountain, and is in-
differently built; the houses are very generally formed of
cubical masses of indurated clay, which by drying take
the appearance of stone, but are not proof against the
torrents of rain, wliich fall during the summer almost
without intermission ; the remains of several were shewn
me, which had been washed away the preceding summer:
I however observed several private buildings of stone,
which looked well ; their public edifices are superb. At
this place you discover the first traces of European
manners.

*< The population of this province was reported to me
at 80,000. I ventured to inquire what that of the city
might be, but got no satisfaction : I think it cannot exceed
12,000 souls.

« [ departed from Monte del Rey the Sd of January,
and immediately found myself surrounded by hills ; the
road generally winding through vallies, but sometimes
passing over rough undulating grounds. I reached Sal-
tie or Saltille, on the 5th. This place is thinly settled.

4SS MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, and offered the firet appearance of cultivation, but in mi-
t^^^-^^ry,^ serable style indeed, yet prodiicing wheat and Indian
corn. Saltille is situate on the north-east side of a hill,
and overlooks a beautiful and extensive plain, partially
cultivated : it is something larger than Monte del Rey,
and the style of building precisely the same. This place
is remarkable for an annual fair, held in September, and
established by custom of ancient date, at which the mer-
chants, traders, mule-sellers, and a host of people from
the city of Mexico and the southern and internal pro-
vinces, assemble for the purposes of barter and sale : it
is also the residence of the treasurer of the internal pro-
vinces subject to Salcedo. Adjoined to Saltille is a large
Indian town, the first I saw, the population of which is
estimated at 40,000 souls.

" This people enjoy a government independent of the
officers of Saltille ', they choose their governor from their
own body, subject to the approval of the sovereign, and
select their magistrates without approval, who regulate
all matters of police, and determine all civil controver-
sies; of their procedure in criminal cases, I could get no
information : they have a protector appointed by govern-
ment, whose duty it is to watch over their interests, and
see that they are not abused by the officers of the pro-
vince. I observed at this place an aqueduct well built
of stone, wliich conducted a copious stream of water
across a valley, for the supply of the town.

« I pursued my journey on the 6th for the city of St.
Louis Potosi, and reached it on the 13th, generally over
a most wretched sterile country, presenting little else
than stunted palms and thorn, which did not afford even
a shade from the ardent rays of the sun. The road is
good, over a surface rather flat; but it is very thinly set-
tled, and gives very few instances of agriculture; I lay
in the open air in this distance two nights out of seven.
This city is spacious and well built of stone, seated on a
plain, and garrisoned by a small body of regular troops,
under the command of an inspector, with the rank of co-
lonel; the population must be between fifty and sixty

GENERAL AVILKINSON. 423

thousand souls. On the evening of my anival, after I chap.
I)a«l waited on the inspector, and received a new pass- ^
port, an orderly sergeant called on me to say, that a gen-
tleman was setting out for the city of Mexico the next
morning, and would he glad to accommodate me in his
coach. In order to sec and ohserve, it was necessary I
should keep my horse, and therefore 1 declined the invi-
tation, saying that I had a companion ; the sergeant re-
quested me to he particular in my reply, as he said ho
had to " report to his superior." Soon after this a very
genteel man presented himself to me, renewed the offer
which had heen made through the sergeant, and proffer-
ed a seat in his coach to my companion, young ■• ■
also, stating to me at the same time, that the route was
a had one, and that I should be saved great exposition
and fatigue by accompanying him. Still desirous to avoid
the carriage, I alleged that I had an interpreter with me;
but he got over this difficulty by observing, lie could make
a cadet who accompanied him go on horseback, and then
having no otlier shift, I was obliged to accept the propo-
sition. This was the friend of the inspector, and

I clearly perceived was acting under his direction, but
with what policy I could not divine. Thus I found my-
self compelled by a feigned civility, to shut myself up in
a Spanish coach drawn by seven mules, or to subject my-
self to suspicions, which it w as my business to avoid. I

left St. Louis Potosi with , on the lith, and reached

St. Miguel le Grande on the irth. This city is situated
on the acclivity of a steep hill, and miglit be rendered a
formidable pass, but is without works or guards; the
houses of the officers and gentry, as well as the public
buildings, arc of stone, but the greater part are of indu-
rated clay: this is a considerable place, but I had not an
opportunity to form an idea of its population. I found
my conductor to be a native of Spain, and a man of edu-
cation and discernment; but he did not offer a question
or conjecture as to my business, nor did he drop a word
respecting the politics of his tountry, until he reached
Mexico.

m4i MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, « "^e departed from St, Miguel the 18t!i, and readied
^^__^ tlie small town of St. Juan del Rio, the next day. This
town is called after a river of the same name, on the right
bank of which it is situate; it is a small stream, and was
nearly dry when we crossed it, but 1 presume rises very
much in the rainy season, fi'om its having a higli stone
bridge thrown over it. I discerned nothing worthy of
remark at this place, which we left on the 20th, in the
morning, and passing several Indian villages, some of
them of considerable extent, reached the capital on the
morning of the 23d.

" The country from St. Louis Potosi, through which
my route lay (I was told there were several others,)
is generally smooth, but intersected by some hills and
rough and rocky grounds. I noticed one remarkable
defile, formed by a mountain on the right, and a preci-
pice on the left, but I cannot recollect its locality. As
we approached tiie city, cultivation appeared to improve;
yet even adjoining to it, I discovered nothing Which an
American would naturally expect to find in the vicinity
of a capital city, and the entire defect of timber through-
out my whole route, left me at a loss to know how the
inhabitants found wood for building or fuel. To my in-
quiries on this subject, the reply was that timber for
building was brought from the sides of the mountains.

« On my arrival I put up at a hotel, and as soon as I
had changed my dress, was conducted by the adjutant of
the palace to the viceroy, to whom I was introduced at a
public audience : he received me with much coolness and
indifference, an«l had me informed immediately, that he
was engaged for two days, and when he wanted to see

me, would let me know. I was aware that and — —

might have advised him of my approach, and the motives
of my visit ; but i could not conjecture why he should
treat the information with such slight, and so very dif-
ferently from those officers. On the third day afterwards
I was sent for to attend the viceroy, and found him with
an interpreter, and two other persons ; he received me
politely but coldly, and with evident distrust, and with-

GENERAL WILKINSON. 4^^

out desiring any inforinatioH from mc, observed tliat lie chap,

had been advised before my arrival, of 's intended ,^,

expedition by , and even by the gazettes of this city, ^'^'^•'^*^

which had preceded me three days, and intimated that
my information could be of no consequence, but said that
tlie intention appeared to be fair and honourable. Very
few words i»assed, and I asked him to favour me with a
passport, and to allow me to return by sea, to which he
instantly assented as it appeared to me, without reflec-
tion. On recurring to this scene, I can but suspect the

information given by , was not of a nature to give

alarm, and to this cause I impute the viceroy's " sang
froid."

« The route to Vera Cruz being well known, I had
determined to return by land, on a road different from
that by which I had travelled j but my expenses had
ov^^errun my purse, and icft me without the means to exe-
cute this purpose.

** The next morning I received my passport, giving

me leave to depart when I pleased. This day , who

had been very attentive to me, called and pressed me to
accept his purse, which I rejected, telling him I had no
occasion for it : with what view this was done I could
not guess.

« The evening after my last interview with the vice-
roy, the , for the fust time, opened his lips on the

object of my visit; he observed ♦* he had heard the mo-
tive of my journey had been to convey important intelli-
gence to the viceroy; that he wished to avoid any ques-
tion which might be improper, but requested me, if I
could do it with propriety, to inform him whether I had
given the names of any traitors in the country to the
viceroy." My reply was that I had not. " But perhaps
you would have done so," replied he, *< if the viceroy
had behaved to you in a different manner?" I answei'ed,
« No, Sir, I would not. 1 did wot come here to impli-
cate any individual of this country, but to put the go-
vernment on its guard against a lawless attack, by a
banditti of my own countrymen." " But," said he,
vol. f. 5 11

4.36 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. «t should the viceroy change his conduct towards you^
might you not be induced to give up their names?" I felt
some emotion and replied warmly, « No, if the viceroy-
were to go on his knees, I would not give him a name."
I had marked his countenance, which was overcast with
deep solicitude, but he now respired profoundly, his
countenance brightened, and he appeared greatly re-
lieved. A moment after, he recollected that the post would
go out in the morning, and requested my permission to
write a line to a friend, which he did in my prest^nce,
and shortly after withdrew. The next day he called ac-
cording to his usual custom, and after a few common ob-
servations, turned the subject to the state of Europe and
the situation of Spanish America; he observed that it did
not appear possible to resist the gigantic power of France;
acknowledged that Spain was in a state of complete vas-
salage, but observed that the king was still on the thnme,
and that as a soldier and a Spaniard, he felt bound by the
oath he had taken to obey him ; but, said he, <* let Bona-
parte once touch our kit»g, and we shall then assume a
different attitude," and expressed his belief that this
must happen ; because, said he, *< I cannot think Bona-
parte will be perfectly satisfied while there remains a
Bourbon on a throne." I replied, that it appeared to
me, the difference between his present situation, and that
which he very justly anticipated, was rather nominal
than substantial ; to which he readily assented, but ob-
served, « that names had weiglit in all countries, and
with almost all men." This gentleman appeared deeply
interested by my visit, and prayed my correspondence.
From a careful review of his whole conduct, 1 have little
doubt some plan of revolt is thought of in the Mexican
provinces, immediate or remote; and he was alarmed
lest some circumstances of it should have transpired^
which I had come to report to the viceroy.

« The second day after I had received my passport,
although it gave me leave to go when I pleased, the ad-
jutant of the palace waited on me from the viceroy, to
tell me I might « ki^-vc the city as soon as I pleased."

GENERAL WILKINSON. 437

The hint was sufficient and I lost no time in taking the chap.
road for Vera Cruz. ''•

** From the city of Mexico you cross the plain about
two and a half leagues to the eastward, when you begin to
ascend that immense chain of rocky heights which sepa-
rates it from the sea. Tiie road through tliis broken, rough
tract, has been highly finished by immense labour and
expense, and we find every spot of arable ground in cul-
tivation. At seventy-five miles from Mexico we entered
Puebla, one of the most respectable cities of the king-
dom. The population is estimated at eighty thousand
souls, and several manufactures are pushed here with in-
dustry, particularly in hardware, calicoes and cloths, but
it is without fortifications.

*« Speaking of manufactures, it may not be uninterest-
ing to remark in this place, that from Mr)ntc del Key
through the whole country which I passed, I observed
the women engaged in domestic manufactures of wool
and cotton, from whence and from the clothing of the in-
habitants, I infer that the much greater part of it is pro-
vided in this way.

«« From Puebla to Xalappa the distance is sixty-six
miles, and the country continues to rise until you get
within 25 or 30 miles of the last place, when you begin
to descend. In this distance we pass Perotte, a small
town of little importance, where the road branches in
going to Mexico ; near this place, in a plain, stands a
quadrangular work with a garrison of regular troops, in
which the treasure destined for exportation is deposited^
a precaution against the insecurity of Vera Cruz ; the
city of Xalappa stands on the summit of a hill, it is re-
spectable in size and well built of stone, but its chief im-
portance is as a summer retreat from Vera Cruz; here I
found a body of troops quartered, consisting of flying ar-
tillery, cavalry, and infantry, said to be six thousand in
number. I remained at this place two nights and a day,
and spent the time altogether, in company with the public
oflicers civil and military, with whom [ had much inte-
resting conversation, which excited great surprise : you

4S8 MEMiOIRS BY

CHAP, may form some idea of it, when I assure you that in a
^' large circle of officers, civil and military, some of them
of high rank, the sentiments I had heard in Mexico,
were sported to an extent, and with a degree of boldness
which astonished me, an officer of rank being present
who had spent some time in the United States ; on one
hand, our government furnished a theme of admiration*
with all who could speak to my understanding, and on
tlie other the tyranny of Bonaparte was reprobated.
They expressed their apprehensions, that he would ex-
tend his dominion over all Europe, in which case they
avowed their determination to declare for independence,
and seek the alliance of the United States. They ac-
knowledged frankly and with strong sensibility, that
they knew all their treasures went into his coffers, and
served to assist him in establishing his project of univer-
sal despotism ; from whatever I could discern in the man-
ner of the company, I believe it was pervaded by one
sentiment, and I could but remark, that the intimate

friend of , with whom 1 dined in Mexico, preceded

me at Xalappa, and waited on me soon after I alighted
from my carriage ; at this place all your proceedings in
this city were publicly known, but no idea of apprehen-
sion seemed to be entertained, either of or of any

foreign power.

« I left Xalappa on the 4th and reached Vera Cruz on
the 5th, descending and passing over rugged, rocky
grounds, until I reached the river Antigua, five league;*
from Vera Cruz, which I crossed at the site of old Vera
Ci'uz, from w'lence the road is flat and sandy, bordering
on the sea shore fo; four or five miles of the distance.

«« On reaching Vera Cruz I waited on the Governor,
and found orders had preceded me, to put me on board
the first vessel, or if none was ready to order m^ back to
Xalappa ; a very small and indifferent schooner was
about to sail, and I was ordered on board or to return to
Xalappa; a strong north-east wind however came on and
lasted five days, at the end of which I determined to take

CENEBAL WILKINSON. ijeo

uny dianre on board the little vessel, and accordingly em- cn\'p.
barked for this city. ^

«♦ 'I he city, harl^our, and defences of Vera Cruz, arc
too well known, to render any description 1 could give
desirable. I will barely observe, that the harbour is an
exposed road-stead, and that during the autumn and win-
ter months, the north winds arc strong and the coast ex-
tremely dangerous, and during the spring and summer
months the climate is destructive to our constitutions.
The sum of my reiflections on what I have seen, applica-
ble to military views are, that either to conquer or to res-
cue the Mexicans, the route by Grande river and Monte
del Rcy is the most favourable, and that any attempt by
Vera Cruz will be found impracticable ; for supposing
that city to be carried, the country behind can be defend-
ed by a small corps, against any body of men who may
be brought to attack it ; besides, were the attempt practi-
cable, the operations must be protracted, and the dis-
eases of the climate would destroy any European or
American army, without the aid of the sword. But once
at Monte del Rey, you find yourself in a high, healthy
country, abounding with horses and provisions, with
your rear safe and open for reinforcements or retreat;
from this point it will require a few days march only, to
cut off the intercourse and a junction of force, between
the interior and the southern provinces, and ^ou may
then either fight or retreat with advantage. But the
idea that the country is to be overrun by a hand fid of
men is absurd, the extent of the route and of the popula-
tion, would oppose insuperable obstacles to such an at-
tempt, and no calculation can be made on the revolt of
the inhabitants, unless they are invaded by a force suffi-
cient, either to reduce or to protect tliem against the re-
gular military, which I have reas(m to believe has been,
or soon will be, increased to twenty thousand men. It is
certain, that although they have some European officers
of experience, the number is very small, and that in ge-
neral they are unlettered and ignorant, but it is equally

430 MEMOIRS BY

CFiAP. true that the natives are hardy robust fellows, and furnish,
good stuff for soldiers.

*< Without descending to minutiae on a subject which is
familiar to you, 1 will just observe, that any army ope-
rating against the Mexican provinces, should be liberally
provided with flying artillery, and should be composed
one-fifth of cavalry."

Mtes of the route from JVacogdoches to the city of Mexico,
and from thence to Vera Crnxi.

« From Nacogdoches to the river Trinity, I call the
distance one hundred miles. At this place the Spaniards
have a lieutenant and eight or ten men. The ford of the
river is a good one.

« From the Trinity to the river Brassos seventy miles,
which is also fordable, and the right bank elevated.

« From the Brassos to the Colorado sixty miles, where
we have a good ford.

« From the Colorado to the river St. Marc, I think it
is about sixty miles ; a rapid current and rocky bottom,
but fordable without much difficulty.

« From St Marc to the river Guadaloupe, I compute
the distance to be sixty miles, and the ford is plain and
easy. Here the road branches, the left leading to La
Bahia, and the rigljt to the city of St. Antonio.

« From the Gaudaloupe to the town of La Bahia,
standing on the right bank of the river St. Antonio, the
distance is twenty-four miles; this river is also fordable.

« From La Bahia to the city of St. Antonio, seventy-
five miles; and from St. Antonio to Larredo, on the left
bank of the Rio Grande, one hundred and twenty miles.
I passed perforce by St. Antonio, which place I visited
from La Bahia; therefore the seventy -five u.iles between
those places and the difference of the routes, which I do
not understand, must be deducted to give the nearest
distance from Nacogdoches to Rio Grande. This river,
where I crossed it, is not more than two hundred and

GENERAL WILKINSON. 431

fifty yards wide, but it was nut fordablc at that time, and cuxp.
I doubt whether it ever is. ^

<* From the Riu Grande I passed three inconsiderable
villages to the city of Monte del Rcy, which I call one
hundred and fifty miles ; making a distance, by my esti-
mate, of six hundred and ninety-nine miles; from which
the preceding deductions being made, the distance will be
found less th^n six hundr'ed miles, which, thougli much
shorter than that generally computed, will, I think, be
equal to the true one.

" In the whole of this route we found no obstacle to the
march of an army excepting the liio Grande, which must
be bridged, boated or rafted, and an island in the middle
affords facility to the traverse.

« From Nacogdoches to the Trinity, we have a forest
interspersed with some considerable prairies. From the
Trinity to Rio Grande continued prairies, high and firm,
with a wavy surface, interspersed with groves and
clumps. From Rio Grande to Monte del Rey you pro-
ceed over the same kind of surface, until you approach
within thirty miles of that city, where the ground be-
comes hilly and a little broken, but naked and with some
stone. Tliere are three roads from Rio Grande to Monte
del Rey, differing in length, but all easy and without ob-
structions.

« From Monte del Rey to Saltie, or Saltille, the dis-
tance is fifty miles; the road stony and rough, and in
several places commanded by heights.

« From Saltie to St. Louis Potosi, the distance is aboufr
two hundred miles; the road is good, but passes over
uneven ground, from whence you have mountains conti-
nually in prospect.

« From St. Louis Potosi to St. Miguel Ic Grande, the
distance is one hundred and ten miles; the road good,
and passing over several extensive plains partly culti-
vated.

« From St. Miguel le Grande to St. Juan del Rio, the
distance is seventy miles, and the road generally good.

MEMOIRS BT

CHAP, « From St. Juan del Rio to the city of Mexico, passing*
^' a number of considerable Indian villages, whose names
I do not recollect, the distance is one hundred and ten
miles, over a spacious and fine road.

« From the city of Mexico the route to Vera Cru:i is
so well known, and having myself travelled most of the
way in a coach, and being obliged to observe great Cir-
cumspection, I fear I can give you no new light on the
subject ; but I will offer the substance of my recollection.
From Mexico to Puebla, the distance is seventy-five
miles ; the road superb, but ascending from the vicinity
of the city, and the surface of the country generally
rocky. From Puebla, passing through Perotte to Xa-
lappa, the distance is sixty-^ix miles; the road and face
of the country nearly the same.

« In this distance we ascend to the height of the lahd»
and descend twenty-five or thirty miles to Xalappa.

«' From Xalappa to Vera Cruz, the distance is about
fifty miles, a continued (Vescent, most of the way over a
rough and rocky surface : in the distance you pass a
handsome river, about 180 yards wide, but fordable,
with a village on its left bank on the site of the ancient
Vera Cruzj both the village and river called^ Antigua."

GENERAL WILKINSON. 4 33

CHAPTER XL

Equivocal conduct of SpaiUf respecting line of limits, in chap.
1797. — American posts on the J^lississippi reinforced.—. ^^^.^-^
General Wilkinson descends the river with a detachment
in the spring of 1798. — Difficulties removed arid the com-
missioners proceed to mark the line. — Uc takes post at
Lnftus^s Heights — Is ordered to J\*ew York in the spring
of 1799, btj Major-general Hamilton, — Arrives there the
1st of Jlugust. — His conference with General Hamilton. —
Anecdote of the General and Colonel Burr. — Submits a
memoir to the General, embracing the force and the dis-
position of the old troops of the United States, with the
occupancies of the contiguous foreign powers, on the
northern, western, and soiithern frontiers; and compre-
hending a variety of facts and reflections, military and
political, respecting the St. Lawrence, the lakes and the
Mississippi. — Visits Boston and returns. — His memoir
approved by General JVashington, and measures taken to
carry it into effect. — Accommodation of differences with
France, and reduction of the army. — Dr. George Logan
visits France. — The effects of this visit. — Different views
of General Hamilton's character. — Motives of his political
conduct explained. — A glance at Mr. Madison's conduct
in the federal convention. — Comparison between him and
Gen^ Hamilton. — Gen. Wilkinson's persecutions i7i 1810
afid 1811. — Ordered to J^e7u Orleans in 1812. — Conduct of
Great Britain and Bonaparte to the United States — The
effects of war. — Observations thereon. — The federal go-
vernment not adapted to a state of war. — John Henry's
explosion. — Reflections thereon.'— Conversation with the
secretary of war. Dr. Eustis, respecting war. — Motives
for purchasing Henry's breach of tru^t. — Conduct of the
oppositionists in Massachusetts to the measures of govern-
ment condemned. — Opinion of the yeomanry of JSTew
England General Wdkinson determines to call the at-
tention of the executive to the defensive protection of Mw
Orleans. — Receives a letter from the secretary of war, and
vol. I. 3 I

43* MEMOIRS BY

submits a memoir to him. — Orders receivedf and corres-
pondence which ensued,— Lays his memoir before the Hon.
Colonel Johnson and Henry Clay, esquire^ oj' Congress.-—
Rejlections thereon, and the effects produced,

^?^^* In the spring of 1797, the equivocal conduct of the

v^-v^-s^ Spanish authorities of Louisiana in relation to the treaty
of limits, &( . induced me to reinforce our military posts
on the Mississippi ; and for this service I selected Cap-
tain Isaac Guion, an officer of tried confidence and ap-
proved intelligence, who had served with General Mont-
gomery before Quebec, and possessed great energy of
character. The discussions which ensued, and the pre-
texts urged by the Spaniards for delaying the line of de-
marcation, conspiring with other circumstances which
had come to the knowledge of the American government,
produced suspicions of a meditated infraction of the treaty
on the part of Spain; in consequence of which I was or-
dered from Pittsburgh in the spring of 1798, to descend
the waters to our western frontier, with a respectable
force ; having by order of the executive previously ad-
dressed a frank and firm remonstrance to the Spanish
governor Gayoso, on tlie subject, which it would seem
produced the desired effect; for on my arrival in the low
country, I found the commissioners were proceeding ami-
cabl} on the survey of the line of limits. I am sorry my
peculiar situation should prevent my dilating on this
topic in these memoirs, but I will refer the reader to the
second volume, for several interesting particulars touch-
ing the subject,

I found our advanced post at Natchez, which I imme-
diately removed, and sat down at Loftus's Heights, with
my whole force, that being the most southerly tenable po-
sition within our limits on the bank of the Mississippi,
about six miles north of the 31st degree of North lati-
tude. Whilst engaged at this point, preparing quarters
for the troops, and erecting batteries to command the
river, [ received the following letter from Major-general
Hamilton.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 430

« JVcw Forkf Ftb. i2th, 1799. CHAP.

" Sir,

** The interesting incidents vvhirli have latterly occur-
red in our political situation, having rendered it expe-
dient to enlarge the spliere of our military arrangements,
it has in consequence become necessary to regulate the su-
perintendence of our military force in its various and de-
tached positions, in sucii a manner as while it will serve
to disborthen the department of war, of details incompa-
tible with its more general and more important occupations,
will likewise conduce to uniformity and system in the
different branches of the service.

** The commander in chief having for the present de-
clined actual command, it has been determined, in pur-
suance of the above views, to place the military force
every where, under the superintendence of Major-general
Pinckney and myself. In tiie allotment for this purpose,
my agency is extended to the gairisons on the western
lakes, and to all the troops in the north western territory,
including both banks of the Ohio, and upon the Missis-
sippi ; in short to all the western army, except the parts
which may be in the states of Tennessee and Kentucky.
Of this you will have been informed by the secretary of
war.

« From the relation which is thus constituted between
us, I allow myself to anticipate great mutual satisfartioo.
Every disposition on my part will certainly facilitate it,
and tend to promote the discharge of your trust, in the
wanner best adapted to your honour and the advance-
ment of the service.

« It was the united opinion of the commander in chief,*
General Pinckney and myself, when lately convened at
Philadelphia, that your speedy presence in this quarter
was necessary, towards a full discussion of the affairs of
the scene, in which you have so long had the direction in
their variojis relations, and towards the formation, with
(he aid of your lights, of a more perfect plan for present

• General Washington.

\

436 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, and eventual arrangements. Much may be examined in
^'* a personal interview, which at so great a distance can-
not be effected by writing. The actual and probable
situation of our public affairs, in reference to foreign
powers, renders this step indispensable. You will there-
fore be pleased, with all practicable expedition, to repair
to Philadelphia ; upon your arrival there giving me im-
mediate advice of it. If this can be most conveniently
accomplislied by way of New Orleans, you are at liberty
to take that route. On this point you are the best judge,
and will no doubt act with circumspection.

« It must rest with you to dispose of the command of
the troops at the different stations, during your absence,
and to give the proper instructions in conformity with
those which have been received from the secretary of
war. On this head only one remark will be made. The
confidence in your judgment has probably led to the re-
posing in your discretion, powei"s too delicate to be in-
trusted to an officer less tried j capable perhaps of being
so used as to commit prematurely the peace of the United
States. Discretions of this tendency ought not to be trans-
ferred, beyond what may be indispensable for defensive
security. Care must be taken that the nation be not em-
broiledf but in consequence of a deliberate policy in the
government,

*i Official letters from you to me, as you have been ap-
prised by the secretary at war, are to be forwarded
through him; they must be open and under cover. The
design of this is, that he may have an opportunity, in
cases of great urgency, which could not conveniently
wait for my direction, to interpose with the requisite
measures. In your absence, it will be proper that the
officer or officers you may substitute in the command,
should communicate with you; also transmitting their
letters open under cover to the secretary at war. This
will preserve unbroken the chain of your command,
« With great consideration, &;c. &c.
(Signed) «* A. HAMILTON,

" Brigadier-general Wilkinson,**

GteNERAL WILKIXSOX. 437

The liberal perspicuous tenor of this letter,* ao unlike chap
the official correspondence to which I had been accus- ^'
tomed, excited my admiration and flattered my self love.
I had been personally, not intimately, acquainted with
General Hamilton in the course of the revolutionary war;
I had commanded him, and was now to receive orders
from him ; I felt a twinge of repugnance, but it was mo-
mentary ; the corps I had commanded was a mere ske-
leton, which the government had thought proper to aug-
ment and organise anew, under the national chief, and
although not promoted, my command was increased and
my authority extended; My military pride, however
sensible, (and there can be no soldier without it) could
not on cool deliberation find an exception to the elevation
of gentlemen with whose political characters and merits,
it would have been the extreme of vanity in me to pre-
tend to enter into a competition, and whose association I
was sensible would add to the weight and importance of
my profession.

Pursuant to the orders of General Hamilton I proceed- • ■M/H^

ed by New Orleans and after some delay there obtained ^^^

a passage direct to New York, where 1 arrived the 1st of
August; I immediately called on the General and left my
card : he returned my visit the next morning, and at our
meeting shewed some sensibility, for which 1 respected
his heart, and remunerated him without Joss of time, by
observing to him, "that considering my superior rank
during the revolution, and my subsequent military ser-
vices, it might be presumed there would be some opposi- »
tion to his command in my mindj but that however tena- ' ^-
cious of rank, whatever might be my professional pride,
and I acknowledged an ample share of it, I should be vain
and weak indeed, did I oppose my pretensions or my

• I mean neither offence nor Indelicacy, when I recommend it to
the attention of the secretary of war, for an example of principle and
consistency, on which the charms and interests of the profession de-
pends, long since abolished by his predecessors, who with bloated
pretensions possessed little knowledge of the duties of their station5.

438 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, talents to his, that I believed the course he had run, and
■ ■ the services he had rendered, gave him a title to the ap-
pointment he had received, and that I should take his
orders with satisfaction;" he was aflfected, and laying his
riglit hand on his bieast replied, " upon my word, Gene-
ral Wilkinson, I admire this frankness, and shall not
shew myself unwortiiy of the example; I have not expe-
rienced the same obliging concession from other quar-
ters ;" he was proceeding, when a messenger required
his presence in court, which was then sitting; and having
appointed tiie next afternoon for an interview, we parted.
I waited on the General agreeably to appointment, and
opened the conversation by observing, " that in obe-
dience to his order of the 12th February, I presented
myself to receive his commands, but before entering on
business, I considered it a matter of propriety towards
him and of duty to myself, to remark, that my ignorance
of his personal sentiments, and my knowledge of the se-
cret slanders by which, I had been assailed during his
administration of the treasury department, enjoined the
utmost circumspection on my part ; I therefore begged
leave to premise, that should the objects for which I had
been recalled from the Mississippi require formal reports,
I hoped he would apprise me, whether I should confine
myself to strict official forms, or might add such political
facts and reflections as appeared to me essential to his in-
formation. That in tlie last case relying on his confi-
dence, I should bare my bosom to him, and that in the
first he would find me dumb to all but specific objects of
professional duty ;" he answered, " I have no objec tion
General Wilkinson to indulge your desire, nor will 1 he-
sitate to tell yeu. Sir, that I sent for you, to boirow the
information which I have in vain sought for elsewhere;
estranged from military pursuits, since the revolution,
my faculties have been directed to different objects ; you
know how easy it is for a soldier to forget the mechani-
cal parts of his profession, which is my case ; I have
grown rusty in military affairs, and have in reality for-
gotten much of what I learnt in the war of the revolu-

GENERAL WILKINSON. 439

tion, and wish to avail myself of your knowlnlt^c ; you chap.
therefore cannot be too ditrtise in youi- coinrniinications ; ^'•
I am not a man of pmfessions, but on a further acquaint-
ance, I think, you will find somethin.t^ here, (layins^ his
liand on his breast) trustworthy; in fin* mean time, 1 will
barely say, that whenever you desire confidence you have
only to intimate it." A lon.^ desultory conversation en-
sued, chiefly respecting our south-western country, of
which he appeared to have formed a just estimate, re-
marking it wail «» a treasure worth cherishing;" at taking
leave, I observed to him, " well, Sir, liaving fatigued you
with my prattle, I now propose to visit an old fiiend
whom I have not seen for several yeats, I know you are
twain in politics, but I hope there is no disagreement be-
tween you, which might render the renewal of my ac-
quaintance with him indecorous to my supciior (jfficer;'*
he asked me if it was "Lamb," meaning Colonel Lamb,
I replied in the negative, and named Colonel Burr.
"Little Burr," said he, « Oh no, we have always been
opposed in politics but always on good terms, we sat out
in tiie practice of the law at the same time, and took op.
posite political directions, Burr beckoned me t() follow
Inm, and 1 advised him to come with me ; we could not
agree, but I fancy he now begins to think he was wrong
and I was right." What an instructive lesson followed 5
from the active command of an army, believed to be as
firmly entailed on the country, as tlie present surrepti-
tious establishment of President Madison, we beheld Ge-
neral Hamilton reduced to the ranks of private life, and
Colonel Burr elevated to the second place in the go-
vernment. We then parted, I visited my friend, and
the next day I received the following note, in conse-
quence of which I prepared the annexed report, with
the references, and I regret they should be too volu-
minous for insertion in these memoirs, as they contain
much interesting information, respecting the interior of
the United States.

440 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP.

XI. « JVew York, Aug. 3d, 1799.

i' General Hamilton presents his compliments to Gene-
ral Wilkinson, and sends him at foot, heads for conver-
sation which it is proposed to have; in order to call the
attention of General Wilkinson to the general points ;
most of them have no doubt been topics of communication
with the war department, but the freedom and particu-
larity of conversation, will yield additional light and lead
perhaps to a correct system, for the management of our
western affairs in their various relations.

"OBJECTS.

a 1st. — The disposition of our western inhabitants to-
•ivards the United States and foreign powers.

s( 2d.>— The disposition of the Indians in the same
aspects.

n 3(1. — The disposition of the Spaniards in our vicini-
ty ; their strength in number and fortifications.

«4th. — The best expedients for correcting and con-
trolling hostile tendencies in any or all these quarters,
including

« 5th. — The best defensive disposition of the western
army, embracing the country of Tennessee and the north
and western lakes, and having an eye to economy and
discipline.

« 6th. — The best mode (in the event of a rupture with
Spain) of attacking the two Floridas j the troops, artil-
lery, &c. requisite.

" 7th. — The best plan for supplying the western army
with provisions, transportation of forage, &c.

tt 8th. — The best arrangement of command, so as to
unite facility of communication with the sea board, and
the proper combination of all the parts, under the general
commanding the western army."

« Mw Fork, Sept, 4th, 1799.
« Sir,

*( I have the honour to submit to your consideration, a
rough delineation of the maritime coast of the United

GENERAL WILKINSON. 4+1

States, and those parts of the interior of our connlry, chap.
which lie contiguous to the dominions of (ireat Britain ■^'
and of Spain, as far north as the *« Saut dc St. Marie;" with
the intention to exhihit to you at one view, the military
posts occupied at this time by tiie several powers, and
such as have been heretofore occupied and abandoned by
our troops ; to which I have added projections of other
posts, recommended to our occupancy by sound policy ;
with this memoir you will also receive sundry documents,
marked from 1 to 9, to which I shall find it necessary to
liave reference.

** In the exposition of the opinions and facts which I
am about to render to you, I shall avail myself of the
latitude you have allowed me, and banishing reserve will
repose on your liberality for indulgence to incidental er-
rors, and a candid interpretation of my views. Should
my language appear either confident or imperative, I
pray you to impute it to my desire to avoid prolixity, on
a subject necessarily complex, and to acquit me of ^y
indecorous propensity.

« When we survey the geographical position, investi-
gate the local circumstances, and cast an eye to the agri-
cultur 1 improvements of the United States ; the extent
and the direction of the magnificent waters of the St.
Lawrence and Mississippi, will not escape the attention
of the intelligent, nor fail to excite the solicitudes of every
souni) American breast, for our future relations with the
countries which thus embrace our interior frontier.

*< Those immense rivers together with the infinity of
their tributary streams, traverse almost every variety of
climate, circumscribe our most valuable domains, embrace
our whole interior population, and open avenues to the
heart of our country, through which (in the present state
of national supineness) we arc liable to be successfully at-
tacked by an inconsiderable force.

" An attempt to dispossess a respectable enemy, once
in possession of our western or northern frontier, will be
found expensive beyond calculation, difficult in the ex-
voL. L 3 K

41S MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, treme and at best of doubtful issue; for vvbile he may de-
rive powerful aid from the unconquerable animosities of
the savages, and the versatility of our own errattics, w^
shall be exposed to the solid obstructions and impedi-
ments, which arise from the distance of our resources
and the difficulties of the route ; to wait for events, will
put it out of our power to guard against them, we should
therefore anticipate probabilities at least, and determine
to erect substantial barriers, against those dangenms
portals which open the way directly to our most vulne-
rable parts. To this end we should augment our force
on the Mississippi and the lakes, we should condense
that which is now there, and occupy the most critical and
commanding passes by durable works judiciously con-
structed.

" We at present hold several useless military stations
on the north-western frontier, merely to awe, to conciliate
and to watch the Indians, or to aid the transport of pub-
lic stores in their progress to posts more remote. Such
are Oswegi^ Presqu* isle. Fort Fayette, Fort Washing-
ton, Fort Wayne, and Fort Knox, these should be broken
lip am! the troops incorporated, for by such fritterings,
we destroy the usefulness of both officer and soldier, and
expose ourselves always to be beaten in detail ; should
the discontents and the clamours of our transmontane
settlers be ofFwcd in opposition to this proposition, I an-
swer, that while we command the house, we shall be able
to govern ti»e household, and therefore the hostility of
the Indians within our cordon, who are dependent on us
for even the implements of war, cannot eventuate in any
thing serious ; and as to those posts which protect the
transport of the public property, they are embosomed in
strong settlements, which can certainly extend the same
security to the national interests, as to those of indivi-
duals ; it is therefore presumed that suitable agents in
charge of the public property, will suffice for every object
of safety and utility at such points.

« The notes attached to the garrisons enumerated in
the proposed disposition No. 1, will exhibit, in brief, the

GENERAL WILKINSON. 443

motives which liave directed tlie distribution, and parti- chap.
cular stations of the troops therein rek'rred toj but as I ^'
deem it hi{>;hly necessary, strong works should be erected
near the head of the straits, which lead from Lai<c Huron
and from Lake Eric, it is proper I should assign my rea-
sons for this opinion.

« It is presumed the British government will never
again attempt to try the strength of our country on the
Atlantic quarter, by an invasion from the northward; hut
it is possible, that a state of things may occur, to invite
a rc-posscssion, and even the extension of their former
occupancies to the nortliward and westward ; in such
case she must commence her operations from Montreal,
and may approach us by the direct route of Cataraqui, or
by what is called tlie back route of Grand river and
French river, into Lake Huron, or by both at the same
time.

<« The site which I recommend for a post at the bottom
of Lake Erie, was pointed out to me by MacnifT, for-
merly an engineer in the British service, who represent-
ed the ground to be well adapted to fortification, w ith the
advantage of a good harbour and safe anchorage ; which
is not [ understand to be found elsewhere in that neigh-
bourhood ; he added, that immediately anterior to Mr,
Jay's treaty, Lord Dorchester had determined to erect a
fortification on that spot,* which I am informed, will
overlook Fort Erie and command the mouth of the strait;
in case of hostilities it will leave no harbour for the ves-
sels of the enemy, on Lake Erie in that vicinity, and at
the same time will aftord protection to our ow n ; it will
form a second barrier, and preserve the communication
with Pennsylvania ; and it w ill oppose additional obsta-
cles to the advance of an enemy, by the Cataraqui and
Lake Ontario; considered in this view, merely to the de-
fence of the country, I conceive the subject worthy of ex-
amination ; but viewed irrelatively to military purposes,
it will not I believe be found undeserving of attention.

• Black Rock.

444 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP For at the present time, the want of a road within our
own limits, and a place of deposit near Lake Erie,
obliges us to carry our stores and merchandise public and
private, through the British dotninions from Newark to
Chippeway creek by land, and from the last place to Fort
Erie in batteaux, which involves much delay and expense.*
and exposes our citizens to undue constraints and impo-
sitions. Old Fort Schlosser, erected anterior to the revo-
lution and long since in a state of decay, was occupied
under my orders in 1797; but the rapidity of the current
of tiiat point, forbidding the approach of vessels of bur-
then, and the ascent of the stream being found difficult to
batteaux, the small garrison was withdrawn. These dif-
ficulties and disadvantages will all be removed, by the
establishment proposed at the head of the strait, as the
ground from thence to Niagara, is I am assured suscep-
tible of a good road.

*« If in our course we examine the position of Presqu*
isle, it will be found, tliat it can have no controul over the
navigation of Lake Erie; the present work is injudicious-
ly posted, and consists merely of blockhouses connected
by ranges of pickets. The site presents no critical spot
for occupancy, the surface towards the country being a
plain. Six and a half feet water only can be carried into
the harbour. The settlements around it are considerable,
and are progressing rapidly. It cannot be possessed by
an enemy before the posts in advance are carried, and,
on an exigency, in twelve days notice four thousand men
may be assembled there with arms, from the state of
Pennsylvania, under these circumstances, I have recom-
mended tlie removal of the garrison.

** From this point, passing Detroit, we will proceed to
the head of the strait leading from Lake Huron, where a
post, in case of hostility with Great Britain, will be found
indispensable, to cut off the commimication to and from
that lake, with the British settlements below. The na-
ture of the ground and the narrowness of the pass, will
enable us to do this eiTcctually, and by such an establish-
ment we guard against a coup de main by French river.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 445

\vliicli is very practicable in birch canues. No. 2 covers chap.
a particular sketch of the spot* to be occupie<l, taken by ^'
me in 1797, and this post becomca the more indispensa-
ble, because Detroit, although proper for a place of arms,
and of general depot, to keep the Indians in check and
to cover the settlements in the vicinity, does not command
the strait, which, opposite to the fort, is a mile wide and
the main ciiannel running close under the British shore.
Whenever it may be found expedient to shut out the Bri-
tish from Lake Superior, a post must be established at
the Saut de St. Marie,f which may be conveniently done
from Mackinac, in vessels drawing seven feet water, or
by battcaux and birch canoes.

*♦ As this chain of posts may effectually exclude all fo-
reign intercourse (from the northward) with our citizens
and our savages, which we arc not disposed to permit ;
as it may effectually bar all communication between Ca-
nada and Louisiana, at our will ; and cannot be forced
but by a regidar attack, which, with tolerable vigilance
in the government, we shall always be able to anticipate
with superior force. I consider the positions well adapt-
ed, and the force assigned, in our present relations witii
Great Britain, competent to eveiy object of national se-
curity ',\ it iSf however, my decided opinion, that the height
which looks into the present works of Michilimackinac
should be occuined by a small but strong regular xvork, and

* It Is a fact, that no attention was paid to this place until tlie year
1813, in consequence of which and the loss of Michilimackinac, the
British held the Indians living on the. waters of Lakes Huron, Michi-
gan and Superior at their devotion.

t To this proposition no respect has been paid to this day, al-
though I have urged it again and again, and a post there would glvis
us power to controul the North West Company and to lock up the
Chippaways in Lake Superior; yet we can spend hundreds of thou-
sands in Mediterranean speculations, in foreign intercourses and mi-
litary sinecures.

i And yet with a transcript of this memoir in the war department^
from the year 1802, not a single step was taken on this recommenda-
tion; and with a pre-dctermination to make war, Mr. President Ma-
dison contrived to sacrifice lliis important post (Michilimackinac'} to
the enemy's puny garrison of Foi't St Joseph.

446 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, the garnson transferred to it. This precaution with proper
^^' endowinents^ will enable 250 men to defend the place, against
any force which can he brought against it, such are the ob-
stacles in the approach to it, the difficidtij of finding subsist-
ence there, and the shortness of the season for operations;
combined to these preparations we must have a navy for
Lake Erie, to bear some proportion to that of the enemy.

*< In this place perhaps it nr.iy be most proper to call
your attention to the state of our ordnance at the several
frontier posts. The return under cover No. 3, will exhi-
bit our whole artillery, with their appurtenances, at every
post except Mackinac and Niagara ; and in No. 4, you
have a brief abstract of the cannon and howitzers at
each post, to which I have annexed an estimate of the
additional pieces, indispensable to the safety of our forti-
fications and the honour of our arms j on this subject it
would be presumptuous in me to address you in detail, as
your peculiar intimacy w ith this branch of service, will
best enable you to form the proper conclusions; it may
however be proper for me to inform you, that although I
have no return from Mackinac, I believe the heaviest metal
there, are brass 6 pounders and 5} inch howitzers, look.
Sir, at the endowment of Fort Lernault, (at Detroit) a
work of some regularity, and you will find our field ar-
tillery sadly misapplied. It may be material also to add,
that shot and shells of any diameter and in any quantity,
can be had from the furnaces on the Monongahela, well
executed under the direction of Major Craig of Pitts-
burgh, for less than 6 cents per pound. The mass which
you will find reported on the Mississippi, was cast there
in the spring of 1798 by my orders. On this subject 1
have written, urged, and entreated again atid again, and
for fear it should be forgotten, I send you under cover
No. 5, the transcript of a requisition made in February
or March, 179S, which has not been attended to in any
respect. The artillery for the lakes, may I presume be
most promptly and economically transported from this
place, by the Mohawk river and Fort Schuyler in the
proper season, and that for the Mississippi in the present

GENERAL WILKINSON. 44/7

moment, may w'lih facility and very light oxpcnso, bo. cn\p,
Siifciy sent forward by the city of JSfw Orleans; with ^'
submission 1 will ask, should this moment be lost ? '^

«' Tlic quantum and disposition of our force on the Mis-
sissippi and the southern frontier, arc subjects which in
the existing state of things, have claim to prompt delibe-
ration and decisive action; the present calm in that quar-
ter may prove a deceitful one, and if the storm should
take us unprepared, sad scenes may ensue. The hand-
ful of men now on that station, would make but feeble
resistance, even against the enthusiastic yeomanry of
Louisiana, once put in motion. It appears rational and
necessary that we »liould determine, either to defend the
country or to abandon it ; in the first case the means
should be correspondent, and in the last case the troops
now there should be withdrawn ; for in the present state
of hands, the game on our part may soon become a des-
perate one. The imbecility of tlie Spanish government
on the Mississippi, is as manifest as the ardour of the
gallant Louisianians is obvious. A single individual of
hardy cnterprize, presenting himself with directorial cre-
dentials, and hoisting the national standard at New Or-
leans, might depose the Spanish administration in one
hour, and have the population of the country at his dis-
posal for any chivalrous enterprize. Under such cir-
cumstances, will it be indecorous should I express my
apprehensions, that we repose in false security, and that
if we are not seasonably aroused, the dismemberment of
the union may be put to hazard ?

« Whoever consults the passions and interests of the hu-
man breast, and is acquainted with the geography of the
country, will discover that the nation which holds the ar-
bitrary controul of the navigation of the Mississippi, must
eventually direct the politics of the western Ameiicans;
and it is equally obvious to all, who are acquainted with
the habits and relative interests of the citizens, and the
Indians of the United States, that the latter can never
cease to be enemies of the former, and will continue ever
ready to strike for vengeance when opportunity may fa-

448 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. vour. The Indians who inhabit the tract of country
^^_^_^^ bounded by the Tombigbee on the east, the Tennessee on
the north, the Mississippi on the west, and the Mexican
gulf on the south, can muster at least 4500 fighting men;
I speak from good information. We will suppose this
force armed against us, and 1000 iwgular troops and 500
chasseurs posted at the Walnut hills (the first spot below
the Chickasaw bluffs, which is not inundated during the
floods of the river) with ten stout gallies bearing 12
and 24 pounders, well built and well manned. At a point
so remote, with the impediments which intervene, the ca-
sualties to which we shall be subject, the delays which
are unavoidable, and the disaffection we may have to en-
counter among our own people, whose population is so
much scattered j who can calculate the time, the toil, the
blood and treasure, which may be found necessary, to
drive the usurpers out of the national territory? — Or if
the power in possession be hardy and enterprizing, who
can ascertain the practicability of the attempt ? In my
own judgment the event would at best be problema-
tical, because the resources of the invader would be more
convenient, and his intercourses more prompt and facile
than our own could be.* Before we dismiss the subject,
it may be necessary to take into view, that we dare not
move out of the Ohio, until we have built a river navy of
decided superiority; for it may be received as a truth, that
an expedition after four day's sail down the Mississippi,
must succeed, surrender, or perish; as we can find no re-
treat for an army through deep, difficult, extensive, and
trackless wilds ; for instance, an army driven on shore
near the river St. Francis, with an enemy in front, will
find itself at least four hundred miles removed from suc-
cour, and without transport must fall a prey to hostile
savages, or starve. Reverting to the question of aban-
donment or defence, which has been suggested for sake of
argument and elucidation, let us contemplate the unmea-

* The present state of our population has wholly changed the cir-
cumstances of the western country in that quarter.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 449

3urc(] ranj5;e of the Mississippi, let us view its countless cfiap.
ti'iljutarj waters, which bathe the most extensive tract of ^'"
luxuriant soil in the universe; let us reflect that the most
valuable portion of this soil is ours of ri.^ht, and that on
the maintenance of this right must depend the national
union : under such well founded reflections and the im-
prcssiiins consequent, I flattci* myself we shall not hesi-
tate, and that a determination may ensue, no longer to
hazard such precious and important interests ; for tiie
safety, the subordination, and prosperity of our western
possessions, the most cheap and conclusive plan would
be the capture of New Orleans; but as this step is at
present unwarrantable, we must turn our thoughts to the
defensive protection of those settlements; and in tliis
view it will naturally occur, as a general principle, that
the means to be opposed must bear a due proportion, to
the force which may possiblji be employed against us. —
But in the present state of tilings, 1 deem three regiments
of infantry, three companies of artillery, two troops of
cavalry, and our two gallics, competent to the defence of
the country, against any force whirh could have been
brought into action from Louisiana, when I left that pro-
vince in June last, provided we receive a seasonable sup-
ply of artillery and ordnance stores.

" The particular dispositions which I should prefer for
this force, under the circumstances in which 1 left the
country, may be briefly comprised in the following details,
viz. a subaltern's command at Fort Pickering (say Chick-
asaw blufts,) as a ** loaim tenenSf'* to preserve our exclu-
sive intercourse with the Chickasaw Indians, and for tlieir
accotnmodatioji ; a garrison at Fort Adams, competent to
command the pass of the river, and to protract a siege for
three months; and to this service I consider 500 infan-
try and two companies of artillery adequate, the works
being finished, and properly armed and endowed. From
Foi-t Adams along the line of national demarcation, at
the critical p;tsses, I propose a chain of small posis, to
prevent foreign intrigues with our Indians, and to arrest
VOL. I. ^ L

450 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, any desultory movements which might Be attempted by
^^- our left, and towards our rear. The garrisons of these
^"^"^^"^^ posts must be calculated to repel the attacks of small
arms, and to retire without loss before tlie approach of
cannon. With my main body I would select a healthy
position, to cover our settlements, and co-operate with
Fort Adams sliould it be necessary; and to enable me to
give battle to an invading force, or to deny it at my dis-
cretion. In this situation I would make soldiers and
wait events.

« Having thus. Sir, run over our whole frontier from
Canada to East Florida, permit me to call your atten-
tion to the sources, from whence we are to derive the force
requisite to carry the propositions into effect, which I have
the honour to offer to your consideration.

« The regimental returns No. 6, are calculated to ex-
pose to you the paucity and painful derangement of those

corps.

« The battalion of artillery, necessarily acting in de-
tachments, we find deficient seventy privates, (more than
one-fourth of the establishment) ; we perceive also one
captain deficient, one subaltern absent, and another about
to resign liis commission.

« The first regiment we find scattered from one extre-
mtiy of the nation to the other j we find two companies
mustere<l to the same officer (Captain Tinsley), and six
companies furnishing 232 privates only, instead of 360,
and it is painful to remark, that in this number consists
the strcngtli of the regiment ; we find also four captains
and four subalterns only present with these six companies,
which leaves two captains and eight subalterns to be ac-
counted for; and we behold a deficiency of four lieute-
nants and two surgeon's mates to complete this corps.

»« The second regiment is more compact, yet it is also
much dispersed; we perceive a great deficiency in the
ranks of this corps likewise, eight companies furnishing
301 privates in place of 480, the establishment; we find
four captains and sixteen subalterns absent, and one lieu-
tenant and two surgeon's mates wanting to complete.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 451

« Of tbc third regiment we fint! five companies on the chap.
Mississippi, and one in the state of Tennessee, of the last ^^■
I have no return; the five companies return only 21 G
privates instead of 300, and we find in this corps also, a
great dispersion of tlic officers, the surgeon and a mate
absent, and six lieutenants and one mate wanting to
complete.

« The fourth regiment was taken from my command,
by the secretary of war, Doctor M*Henry, in 1797, and
I have no return of it.

« To complete the three first regiments to the esta-
blishment, the summary annexed to tlie regimental re-
turns exhibits a deficiency of eleven lieutenants, five sur-
geon's mates, thirty cadets, three sergeant majors, five
quarter-master sergeants, five senior musicians, sixty
sergeants, fifty-one corporals, ten drummers, sixteen
fifers, and one thousand and fifty -one privates; and eigh-
teen captains and forty-four lieutenants are reported
absent.

« This great deficiency of neaj'Iy three-fifths of the
establishment, is an afflicting circumstance, but the de-
rangement and dispersion of the corps, and the separa-
tion of the men that are effective from the officers, and
the officej's from the men, tear up the fundamental prin-
ciples of military institutions; they extinguish the pride
of corps, that powerfully operative impulse — they prevent
emulation — they perpetuate ignorance — they produce in-
subordination and indisd'plinCf and they destroy respon-
sibility, without which all multitudes become mobs, and
an army the worst of all.

« It is irksome to retrace lost ground ; it is difficult to
combat, successfully, the prejudices of the ignorant and
indolent; it is sometimes odious even to correct abuses,
and it is always laborious to extract order out of confu-
sion.— But I, and all within the sphere of my command^
look up to you. Sir, in full confidence, for such radical
reform as may rescue the profession from disgrace, and
the army from utter ruin. "We languish to behold inuo-

402 MEMOraS BY

CH\P. vatioii and presumption* yield to principles and subordi-
^'' nation ; we wish to see ri,^litful preroj^atives and just dis-
timtions maintained, against partial innovations and ca-
pricious whims; and we thirst for the restoration of
responsihility throughout the various grades. To the
accomplishment of these desirable objects, we deem it
impf)rtant, that an immediate organization of the compa-
nies ensue, that the officers be ordered to join without
delay, and that they be not hereafter separated from their
men, but by permission of the commanding general; that
the regiments be incorp(»rated when practicable, and
when impracticable, tliat the parts be approximated as
nearly as the interests of the service may permit; that
the field officers be attached to, and act with their seve-
ral corps, and that in the gradations of rank, and the re-
lations of duty, no authority may interfere between a su-
perior and an inferior.

«< In the present situation of the troops under conside-
ration, I find some difficulty in devising a plan for their

* Antecedent to this period. Doctor M'Henry, then secretary of
war, had introduced into the service anomalies, such as were since
matured by General Armstrong-, and still prevail in the war depart-
ment, which destroyed every thing like subordination and responsi-
bility, and concentered supreme power in the head of the department.
This gentleman ruined the service, but made himself very ridiculous;
like General A.rmslrong, he would write a miliiary book, and as Jo-
mini was not written at that time, he fell on Cuihbertson's Regula-
tions for a Battalion, written about the year 1760, when the British
infantry formed in three ranks, and {he Doctor with the aid of this
light essayed a system of regulations for the infantry of the United
States ; but not knowing that we formed in two ranks, and confound-
ing the colonel with the commander in chief, -and the regimental
non-commissioned staff with the general staff, he commenced such a
System of incongruity as made him ridiculous in the eyes of the
youngest subaltern. Luckily for the character of the government, he
sent me — but unluckily for bis own, he also sent my subordinates —
several transcripts of his performance for our opinions, which without
the violation of gravity or delicacy, I turned into such ridicule, as
soon exposed to him the abs'irdity of his imposture, and prevented
(lie intrusion of a second chapter on my attention.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 4i53

incorpoi'jilion, and in bringing the several garrisons to cii\P.
the posts proposed for thorn ; but to delay tlie corrertive, ^'
will be to foster the disease which menaces our dissr)lu-
tir)n, and with great objects before uS) wc must step over
small impediments.

« With due deference then, and pursuant to the ideas
before expressed, I shall propose that the first regiment
and two companies of artillery, be assigned to the posts
of the lakes, and the garrison of Massac on the Ohio ;
and that the second, third and fourth regiments be order-
ed to the Mississippi.

<< Should this proposition be adopted, it seems advisa-
ble, that the whole of the infantry in Georgia be trans-
ferred to some one of our new posts, and the oflirers be
ordered to your head quarters for instructions. By this
arrangement, we save the expense of double transport,
prevent delay, and avail ourselves of the services of men
who are seasoned to an unhealthy climate.

« The troops now at Oswego and Niagara, with Whist-
ler's company from Fort Wayne, will complete the gar-
rison proposed for the second place, to one major, one
captain, four lieutenants, one surgeon's mate, four ser-
geants, five corporals, one drummer, one fifer, two arti-
ficers, and seventy-two privates ; and will leave us one
sergeant, two corporals, one drummer, one fifer, two arti-
fiicers, and sixteen privates of artillery, with three fifers
and one corporal of infantry to be carried forward to De-
troit, and transferred to the first regiment, and Captain
Thompson's artillery ; to which place also, the residue of
the garriscm of Fort Wayne should be ordered, and that
post left in charge of the Indian agent who is posted
there. We shall then find at Detroit, of artillery, one
captain, one lieutenant, three sergeants, four corporals,
two fifers, one drummer, two artificers, and twenty ma-
trosses, and of the infantry of the first regiment one lieu-
tenant-colonel, one major, one captain, one lieutenant,
one surgeon, eight sergeants, twelve corporals, tlii*ee
fifers, one drummer, and thirty -six privates; to which I
propose to add, by transfer from the men of the second

454

MEMOIRS BY

CHAP.
XL

regiment now there, in exchange for the same number
of the first regiment on the Mississippi, six sergeants,
seven corporals, two drummers, two fifers, and seventy-
five privates, which will give us a total of nine sergeants,
twelve corporals, three drummers, five fifers, and one
hundred and eleven privates of infantry; and these I
would form into two companies and officer completely ;
and of the supernumerary non-commissioned ofiicers,
drums and fifes, one sergeant, one corporal, one drum
and one fife, may be assigned to Captain Prior, who
wants them, and the residue may be employed in the re-
cruiting service. Thompson's artillery should be com-
pleted without delay, and in the mean time, a detach-
ment sent to relieve Porter at Mackinac, who with his
company sliould be ordered to Massac, via Chicago and
the Illinois river, a safe, easy and expeditious route du-
ring spring or autumn, in peroques or birch canoes ; and
for the sake of responsibility and economy, the detach-
ment of Thompson's company, now at Massac, should be
transferred to Porter. The following will then be found
the present actual strength of the first regiment, and the
force of those garrisons respectively.

POSTS.

Species
of ti'oops.

Niagara <

Detroit ^

Mackinac <

Massac s

Artillery

Infanti'y

Artillery

Infantry

Artillery

Infantry

Artillery

Infantry

i)'

X^

IG

56

20

111

13

32
26
49

21

65
32
139
17
42
42
58

Companies.

Thompson's

Wliistler'

Thompson's

Britt's

Thompson's

Prior's

Porter's

Pasteur's

if A comparison of this return, with the garrisons pro-
posed for the posts it comprehends, will exhibit a great
deficiency of men and officers ; to repair these defects,
the due complement of officers for the five companies,
should be ordered immediately to join, and the residue
should be actively employed in the recruiting service;

GENERAL WILKINSON. 45p

and it is presumed that fifteen officers, which will he left CHAP,
for that duty, may with industry complete the regiments ^''
hy the next spring, before which period we liave little to
apprehend, as the frost will soon lock up tlie lakes.

" Of the second regiment, wc have eight companies
returned, whicli give us 301 privates ; these should b«
organised into six companies, completely officered, and
the residue of the gentlemen in commission, the surplus
non-commissioned officers, drums and fifes, should be
ordered to the recruiting service ; the detachments of this
corps, may with facility, with expedition and economy,
reach the destination proposed for it, by the Miami of the
Lakes, the Wabash and the Ohio rivers; and should the
proposition be adopted, orders ought to be immediately
issued for the movement, as the autumnal floods are at
hand, and it is important to the health of the troops des-
tined to the south, that they should reach their stations
in autumn.

« The third returns five weak companies in the Mis-
sissippi territory, and we are assured of one company in
the state of Tennessee ; the last should be ordered to join
the main body ; the whole should be officered to the es-
tablishment, and the recruiting service should be pushed
by the supernumeraries ; the colonel, rvho has never seen
his regiment in seven yearns sei'vice, shoidd be ordered to
join it, and the first major, who has been more than three.
years absentf should be ordered to do duty cither with his
corps or at a recruiting rendezvous.

« With respect to the fourth regiment, stationed in the
state of Tennessee, I have no report on which to found
details ; but as it appears that peace and content have
been restored in that quarter, tlie objects of the command
there have ceased, and the corps may with facility, and
without expense, be readily transferred to the Missis-
sippi. The fragments of an artillery company, and a
troop of dragoons attaclied to this regiment, may also be
ordered by the same route, to the most feeble, exposed
and succourless frontier of the natron; but special care
should be had in the removal of this corps, that the due

456 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, complement of officers march with it. Under the cover
^' No. 7, you will find, respectfully submitted, a plan for
the organization of the four old regiments, which by the
late augmentation and change of establishment, have been
entirely disorganised. In the distribution of the officers,
I have consulted talents, qualifications and merits, as far
as my knowledge extends ; and when this has failed me,
I have cast lots. I beg to call your attention to my pre-
ference of captains, as I have seen most of them tried,
and have made the selection with a view to combat.

" In examining the ordnance return for Fort Wayne,
you will perceive a handsome stock of small arms, and a
small quantity of powder. Should the garrison be re-
moved, it will become a matter worthy consideration,
whether these articles should be carried to Detroit, or
forwarded to the Mississippi ; the expense will be nothing
in either case, and tlie reflection which should determine
MS, will rest on the greater or less safety and utility of
those weapons at the respective posts. To account to
you for the small quantity of fixed ammunition, at the
barrier on the Mississippi, I must observe, that we sat
down in the woods, and had our buildings to form from
the stump, which prevented the completion of a labora-
tory until within a few days of my departure: and I may
add (with great truth) ami I do it with sensible pain,
thcit I have not an officer there who knows how to drive
a fuse, or charge a shell. This is a point of too much
magnitude to escape your attention, and 1 trust some offi-
cers of skill and experience may b= forthwith ordered to
that quarter, and among them a field officer is indispen-
sable ; — is now senior on that stati n, and he is

not c)»dy ign-'rant, but at intervals his conduct approach-
es to insanity. It appears essential, that some person
should be employed for that department, capable of in-
stru( ting our officers in the inferior branches of the ma
thernHti's, to comprehend spherical trigonometry and the
doctrine of projectiles, and also to teach them the use of
thr nec( ssarv tns(ruments ; as 1 know not an individual
in service tiicrc who can take either altitude or distance.

GENERAL AVILKINSON. *57

flr vvlio understands the proper application of If alley's cn^p.
quadrant. On this stihjcrt it is necessary to add, that ^'
hooks and instruments should be fornishcd, as I liave ^•^'■"'^^»-'
never received either from the j)ublir. A theodolite, a
sextant, a circumicrenter with chain, and three sets of
pocket instruments, would, I apprehend, sutfice.

** Under the cover, No. 8, 1 take leave to ofTor you a
variety of information relative to the interior communi-
cations of our country, from Michilimackinac to La
Frairie dcs Chicns, by the west sliore of Lake Michigan,
Green Bay, Fox river, and the Ouisconson, and by the
cast coast of the same lake, to the river St. Joseph, and
Chicago; and from thence across ijito the Iliinois river,
and by that stream into the Mississippi, and down to Ca-
hokia; and also the route from Cahokia up the Missis-
sippi to La Prairie des Chiens, where we have annually
the most numerous assemblage of Indians, and the most
considerable mart for Indian traffic within our limits, or
within one thousand miles of the same point. Under the
same cover, you will find reports touching tiie Tombig-
bee, and the country intervening from thence, to our
lowest establishment on the Mississippi, which will be
accompanied by a general (though incorrect) map of the
country, and a sea coast chart fi-om New Orleans to
Mobile, with a pretty exact plan of the Mobile river
up to Fort Stoddert, and a sketch of Lake Michigan, for
which I must refer you to Lieutenant Ileton.

« Under No. 9, I take the liberty to oflTer you certain
transcripts from my orderly book, which taken with my •

order of the 22d of May, 1 797, before submitted to you,
have constituted standing rules of service, and therefore
it may be necessary for the c<immandijig general to
change, modify, or sanction them, to prevent the quib-
bles and controversies of the impatient and litigious.

" The moral, physical and political principles, proper-
ties and relations of tiic several subjects which are glanced
at in this detail, will be examined in another report,
which I shall digest at my leisure, as it can have no in-
floence on any immediate operation,
vol.. I. ^ M

4;a8 MEMOIRS BY

CH.\P. ** I ani conscious, Sir, that you will find in these sheets
^^ much useless prattle ; hut in balancing between precision
and prolixity, I decided that it was safer to trespass on
your time, than to suppress information, however frivo-
lous. In matters of speculation, your intelligence will
correct my errors, but in matters of fact you may repose
confidently on this report, which is most respectfully sub-
mitted to you,

«* By, Sir,

« Your obliged and faithful servant,

(Signed) « JA. WILKINSON.

« Major-general Hamilton."

After perusing this memoir, General Hamilton ex-
pressed his approbation, but informed me he should sub-
mit itto General Washington's consideration, for, although
the General had declined command, until there should be
occasion for him to take the field, yet he consulted him on
all general arrangements, and that as this reference would
require a fortnight, I might employ tlie interval as I
thought proper^ I proposed to visit Boston to review the
scenes of my military noviciate, and he charged me with
the letter for President Adams, which will be found in
page 157 of the next volume. On my return to New
York, I was informed that General Washington had ap-
proved my disposition of the troops, for the north and
south-western frontier, and measures were immediately
commenced, to carry them into execution j but they were
arrested by the unexpected accommodation of our differ-
ences with France, and the sudden reduction of the army.

For these blessings the United States were indebted to
the pacific disposition, and disinterested patriotism of
Doctor George Logan, for which he deserved a civic
crown, but under the delusions of the times, was reward-
ed with reprobation and abuse. It must be fresh in
every man's recollection, that in the course of the awful
revolution which stained the face of Europe with blood.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 439

the independent policy and political j)rojudircs of the chap.
tJnited States, opposed to the imj)erious lanaticism and "^'
despotic spirit of revolutionary France, had, in the
years 1798-9, hrought the two countries into a species
of piratical conflict, which menaced a speedy, open, and
vindictive war. To prevent the dreadful visitation, if
in his power, this gentleman, in tUe enjoyment of ease
and affluence, with a rising family, and a consort whose
personal accomplishments, domestic virtues, and superior
understanding, render her not only an ornament to her
sex, hut I can say, without flattery, do honour to the hu-
man race, determined to forego tliese hlessings and de-
parted from Stcnton near Philadelpliia, the venerable
scat of his ancestors, and visited Paris at his private
expense: this expenditure required a sacrifice, and he
sold a part of his estate, to fulfil a duty to humanity
and Jiis country. On his arrival at the French metro-
polis, the good offices of the Batavian minister, Mr.
Schimclpenninck procured him an introduction to the
director Merlin, and enabled him to place before that in-
fluential man, in its true light, the real cliaracter of
the quarrel between the two countries. A very frank
and independent conversation produced such explana-
tions, as could not be refuted nor resisted, and which
were followed by the raising of the ttnrighteous and op-
pressive embargo on American vessels, which had me-
naced the fortunes of so many good men ; assurances
were also given formally to Mr. Murray, our minister at
the Batavian republic, that the French directory was
ready to treat with commissioners of the United States,
for the adjustment of their controversies ; a i>egociation
ensued, which however interrupted by diplomatic artifice
or passion, was finally successful ; and thus by the hu-
mane interposition of an individual the war which had
already arrived at naval conflict, was arrested : and the
boundless prosperity of this nation was preserved and
promoted. How many thousands are there who owe
their fortunes, how many more their lives, to this agenrj-
of Doctor George Logan ? Yet, how few remember it! 11

160 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. Moved by the same principles of patriotism, benefi-
^^ cence and Christianity, Doctor Lo,min made an attempt to
prevent the late war with the British nation, for which
purpose he again crossed the ocean and visited Great
Britain ; there he found in the Duke of Bedford, the
Marquis of Lansdown, Sir John Sinclair, baronet, and
Mr. Coke,* the distinguished and highly independent
member for the county of Norfolk, and other eminent
public characters, the most friendly disjmsitions towards
the United States, and the strongest desire for peace; —
during his stay he addressed a letter to, and had an in-
terview with the Marquis Wellesley, then secretary of
state for foreign affairs on the subject, which appeared to
him satisfactory ; but the dominant spirit of the British
cabinet, and mutual jealousies and irritations, forbid that
conciliatory course, which might possibly have promoted
and preserved a good understanding between the two na^
tions. If this personal missi()n failed of effect, it was not
the fault of the agent, who deserved the grateful thanks
of his country for the undertaking; but the Federalists
had abused the Doctor for his oflicious, but successfuFin-
terference with France ; so on this occasion, downright
good Democrats by professiojj ridiculed his visit to
Great Britain as the impulse of an enthusiastic mind :
such is the intolerance of faction and the vehemence of
interested partisans in all cases, wliich tend to affect their
political views and designs, But,l would to God we had
an hundred influential citizens of the same spirit and
principle scattered over the United States, for it is by the
cultivation of such a spirit and such principles, that the
happy constitution and goveinment of our country, can be
rescued from the fangs, not of a political p;n'ty, but of an
interested and ambitious cabal, and brought back to its
original purity ; and it is by such means and such men,

• The accomplished proprietor and occupant of the princely man'
Bion and estate of Holkam, a i^tntleman as celelirated for his hospita-
]\\y and private virtues js for his pure and consistent line of politics.
He-is said to have more than once declined tlie honours of the peer-
age, preferring his high standing as a commoner.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 4OI

the peace, propriety and happiness of the republic will chap.
be ()re.s('rv('(I. XI

I'lie following letter will demonstrate the principles of *"^"'''"**^
t.hc writer, and Uie motives of Doctor Logan's last visit
to Europe.

« St. Jameses Place, J^o. 37,

^pril 2Sth, 1810.
*f My Lord,

** I arrived in the last British packet from New York,
ftnd had the pleasure of bringing with mc despatches from
the President of the United States to our minister in Lon-
don, of the most conciliatory nature, calculated to settle
the unhappy difference which has too long subsisted be-
tween Great Britain and the United States, equally inju-
rious to both.

« Since my being in London, I find an opinion prevails
with some gentlemen of high standing in the councils of
their country, that the President and the people of the
United States have a strong attachment to France. Hav-
ing been a member of the senate of the United States for
six years, and for more than fifteen years been honoured
with the friendship of Mr. Madison, I know this charge
to be without foundation. As I consider it of some im-
portance to have your mind perfectly satisfied on this
point, with the permission of your Lordship, I will wait
on you to-morrow at one o'clock, to have a short conver-
sation with you on the subject.

«< Sensible of the importance of your time, devoted to
the service of your country, I should not wish to intrude
on it for a moment; but the tremendous power of Bona-
parte in Europe, his activity and future prospects of do-
mination, renders it absolutely necessary that both our
governments, in their present negotiation, should resort
to a spirit of confidence, justice and forbearance, and not
to jealousy and petty acts of irritation. Mr. Pinkney,
our minister, has the full confidence of the President,

^62 »tEMOIRS BY

CHAI*. and is himself well disposed to promote a happy recon-
y^f,.,!^. ciliation.

*< Accept assurances of my respect.

« GEO. LOGAN.

« The inost noble the Marquis WellesleyJ*

(( Stenion, March 20th, 1815.
« Dear Sir,

« It is with the highest gratification I congratulate
you on the return of peace between Great Britain and
the United States. You well know the anxiety of my
mind, when in London, to prevent the direful conflict, by
which both nations have lost many valuable citizens, and
expended millions of money, without acquiring one single
advantage. But this calamitous event is not attributable
to the people of either nation, but to the infatuated coun-
cils of both. This is evidenced by the universal joy per-
vading every class of citizens, even before the terms of
peace were known.

<* Hostilities having ceased, it is probable a treaty of
friendship and commerce will be contemplated. Should
this desirable event take place, it is to be hoped the ne-
gotiations will not be tarnished by temporary expedients,
or mere local considerations, injurious to the general in-
terest, but that a spirit of magnanimity will prevail, as
the soundest policy, to insure the peace and future pros-
parity of both countries.

« Accept assurances of my esteem and friendship,

" GEO. LOGAN.
«< Sir John Sinclair.^*

« Edinburgh, July QOth, 1815.
« My dear Sir,

« I had the pleasure of receiving yours. I rejoice ex-
ceedingly at the restoration of peace between the two

GENERAL WILKINSON. ^63

vcountrics. It was neither yoiir fault nor mine, that a chap.
war, 80 unfortunate tor both countries, was not prevent- ^*
ed. I am now at Edinburgh, at a distance from all my
papers, and can only request your acceptance of the trlQcs
herewith inclosed, together with two recipes for prevent-
ing the mildew, which would be invaluable, if they arc
found to answer.

« Excuse a few hasty lines, and believe me with much
esteem and regard,

<' Yours,

"JOHN SINCLAIR.

«? Dr. George Logan,*'

The splendid abilities of General Hamilton were ad-
mitted on all hands, but his political sentiments and pub-
lic services, became a subject of controversy between the
adverse parties, which divided the community ; on one
hand he was eulogised as the consummate statesman,
and the sound patriot; whilst on the other, he was charg-
ed with predilections to royalty, and political attach-
ments hostile to republican institutions ; his works best
bespeak his transcendant talents, and General Washing-
ton bore testimony to his probity and patriotism. The
entire confidence with which this gentleman treated mc,
licensed the most unreserved frankness, and one day in a
desultory conversation, I inquired of liim whether he
knew he was considered by many, as the advocate of
royal governments, and the decided friend of Great Bri-
tain ? He replied, that thpse with whom he was associat-
ed in politics, and who understood him, would acquit him
of these predelections ; but that those who were of the
opposite pai'ty, had he understood, accused him of both ;
be said, that the part he took in the federal convention^
had he supposed given rise to the first imputation, and
his opposition to the public sympathies, for revolutionary
France, to the last ; that in the convention, he had la"

464^ MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, boured to promote a system of government, which he bc->
^' lieved best calculated to preserve the integrity of the
union ; for, that, from his reading and experience, he
could not bring himself to believe a great empire coidd
be protected by a thatched roof, against the storms and
tempest to which all states were liable; and tliat, there-
fore, he was for vesting Congress with a qualified con*
troul over the state governments ; to guard against ca-
price and contumacy, and to secure obedience to the na-
tional will. That bis adversaries were inconsistent, in-
asmuch as they allowed him to possess discernment and
knowledge, and yet, charged him with a desire to intro-
duce a monardiv, which every person in the least ac-
quainted with the genius and temper of the people of the
United States, must know was absurd. That under the
existing constitution, he could readily conceive a possible
case, w hich might lead to a subversion of the general go-
vernment, that was a coalition, between Virginia and
Massachusetts, to resist the measures of Congress ; for,
said he, it would be difficult to find a remedy for such an
evil, originating with those powerful states. With re-
spect to the other point, he said, it was not from an un-
friendly disposition to the French people, that he had
opposed the public sympathies, but it was to prevent the
honest zeal of our own people, from hurrying them head-
long into the arms of a nation, engaged in a contest, the
end of which, no one could discern ; tliat his sole object,
was to preserve the independence of the United States,
try saving them from political engagements, which might
prove dangerous to their future peace, and prosperity;
and that in regard to Great Britain, although the policy
he had advocated might indirectly favour her European
views, it had been the effect of circumstances, in which
his dispositions had no share ; for that at the very time,
his heart bled under the sense of the wrongs, oflTered by
Great Britain to the United States, and he had no doubt
the haughty spirit of that nation, would involve us in a
war with her in less than seven ycjirs; for which, it was

GENERAL WILKINSON. 4.55

Iiis opinion, we should then begin to prepare; and it is a CHAP,
fact, tliat all his measures and deliberations took that '^'•
direction.

It is not in my power to do justice to General IlamiL
ton's turn of thought, or mode of expression ; but the
preceding is to the best of my recollection, the substance
of his observations, and I offer them to tlic woild kt their
value, not doubting myself, that his motives were pure,
and that his policy saved this country from heavy cala-
mities. How capricious then is the destiny of public
men! how adverse the fortunes of individuals, who labour-
ed together in a common cause, for the maintenance of
principles of government, which they equally approved !
I allude specifically to Alexander Hamilton and James
Madison, and I must be pardoned for the comparison,
which is here employed, merely as a caution to my coun-
trymen, in the choice of their servants, not hastily to
condemn, nor blindly approve.

Mr. Hamilton and Mr. Madison assisted by Mr. Jay,
wrote the Federalist in concert, which is conclusive as to
their union of sentiment and entire confidence at that
time, and if the united testimony of Judge Yates* and of
General Hamiltonf deserves credit, Mr. Madison's aris-
tocratical disposition in tlic federal convention, cannot be
denied ; and if such respectable proofs should be deemed
insutlicient, surely his administration of the government,
for the last five years, would furnish abundant evidence of
his disposition to usurpation and abuse of power, and
what is equally fatal to a nation, his tame submission to
their commission by otliers ; and yet we have seen these
political brethren, the one depressed and the other exalt-
ed, by the very same party, for their political tenets j so
much for that integrity, which spurns concealment, and
that hypocrisy, which studies dissimulation.

The reader will excuse mc for leading him from this
expose to one of a similar character, written more than

* See new series of American Law Journal, pages 563. 570.
f See sixth edition of thetMive Branch, pages 78—0.

VOX. I. 3 N

466 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, twelve years, alter; during which period the moral and
^^" physical capacities of the western country have under-
gone an incredible change, and tlie improvements havfr
transcended all example ; during this eventful epoch not
only the navigation of the Mississippi, but both banks of
that matchless river, with a boundless extent of territory,
have, by the tumults of the world and the caprices of for-
tune, been acquired by the United States, whether for their
remote happiness is a question which I have always doubted.
After two years of persecution, which will be fully ex-
plained in the next volume of these memoirs, my sword
which had been divorced, for the first time during a life
spent in the military service of my country, was restored
to me, and I was warned to prepare for command on the
Mississippi. The naval despotism of Great Britain dis-
played in her blockades, her searches, impressments, in-
sults of our flag, murders of our citizens, and contempt
of our remonstrances, had long before given just cause of
war, and the declaration would probably have been made^i
but for the outrageous wrongs and indignities heaped
upon us, at the same time, by Bonaparte ; which by dis-
tracting the national counsels blunted the edge of our re-
sentments against the British government, and disunited
the public sentiment. War, always a certain calamity,
and of uncertain issue, depended on a casting vote, but it
could not be sustained with effect, without the very gene-
ral and hearty approbation of the people; neither was
the country in a state of preparation to measure swords
and purses, with a nation powerful in arms, and fruitful
in resources ; nor is the government of these states (/
thank Mmighiy God for if) framed for the purposes of
war. The rightful and necessary publicity of republican
deliberations, and the dilatory proceedings of popular as-
semblies, forbid the prompt, secret, sudden blow, which
constitutes the life and soul of war; and is congenial with
despotisms only ; the sagacious Jefferson carefully sur-
veyed these obstacles, and wisely and virtuously preferred
negociation, regardless of public clamour. His succes-
sor pursued the same sound policy, until he found it ne--

GENERAL AVILKINSON. 4457

ccssary ostensibly to yield up liis own jiKl.J^mcnt to srcnrc chap.
Ills re-election, and while he made war with one hand, ^'
courted negociation with the other. But lest the public
acts of Great Britain should not bear him out, he souglit
by the agency of a traitor, whose perfidy dishonoured the
appeal and whose niotives discredited his revelations, to
irritate, inflame, and prepare the public mind for his pur-
pose. This allusion will rccal to the reader the intrigues
of the venal apostate Henry, for whose secret informa-
tion, President Madison disgraced his station and abused
the public trust, by the commutation of fifty thousand
dollars ; some future historian will render ample justice
to this transaction.

The morning preceding this terrible explosion, the se-
cretary of war called on me at my quarters, and inquired
whether I was prepared to march? I asked for my in-
structions, and he observed they could be formed in ten
minutes j some conversation ensued touciiiiig the neces-
sity of despatch, and a war being mentioned, I expressed
my belief, tiiat the event was not at hand ; « Tlien you
do not expect war," said he, " by G — d it will burst upon
ns like a clap of thunder;" I replied, "will you venture
to go to war in so unprepared a condition ?" he answer-
ed, <' wc shall never be prepared before war is declared.
Congress will not go into the expense of preparation ;"
<«and will you," said I, "take upon you the rcsponsibi-
lity of making war in our present circumstances ? if you
do, remember that I say, you will soon be obliged to re-
tire from office." He appeared exceedingly animated, and
1 cannot but smile at the vanity of ministerial calculations
when I recollect the time, place, and circumstances of the
interview. The Presidential exposition of Sir James
Craig's intrigues, in New England, to the House of Re-
presentatives the next day, explained the mysterious ex-
clamation of the war secretary.

In the temper of the times, when men's passions were
roused by the extraordinary pretensions of the Britisli
government, and its reiterated aggressions, the exposi-
tion of an intrigue, the design of which, obviously had

468 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, heen to blow the coals of discontent, and fan the flame of
^^- disunion among the states, could not fail to excite the
warm indij^nation of every honest patriot, and raise the
angry passions above the key of temperate discussion ;
but I conceive another purpose was involved in the dis-
closure of Henry, designed to indulge tlie resentments of
a little malicious heart.

It will he remembered by every body that a small
number of distinguished influential characters in Massa-
chusetts, had arrayed themselves against the ascendant
political sect. In the licat of party zeal those gentlemen
forgot their several duties, they had openly encouraged
an opposition to the laws of tlie union, and in a manner
identified themselves with the worst class of pecuniary
speculators and smuggleraj the intemperate warmth and
acrimony, for which they condemned their adversaries,
they themselves plunged into; and under a government
less pure in its forms, they had proceeded far enough to
incur tlie penalties of treason. But although none of
those prominent chara'Cters were criminated by Henry, it
T^as expected that the very direction of his corrupt in-
trigues would implicate them, tarnish the patriotism of
New England, impair her political influence, and subject
to suspicions of a traitorous predilection, the descendants
of those very men, who struck out that spark of liberty
which illumined our path to independence j the govern-
ment itself acted as a faction. Conduct thus destitute of
magnanimity, was not well adapted to conciliation,
but well calculated to irritate and increase existing
discontents, and instead of strengthening the executive
arm, produced a contrary effect;, generous, honest minds
revolt against excesses of every kind, and the indignation
excited by aggravateil imputations may lead to their com-
mission ; for revenge is inherent, and tlie diabolical pas-
sion which has beguiled many an Iionest man, can be suc-
cessfully opposed by the christian religion only ; Conde
went to the Bastile devoted to his prince, but came out
his vindictive foe. Hannibal confessed his country me-
rited the vengeance of Rome.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 469

It must not be understood that I aj)prove the conduct c:n.\p,
of the Massacliusetts faction, which opposed a combina- ^^
tion to the operations of the general government, which ^^'^''"^^
countenanced the violation of the laws, or tended directly
to destroy the federal union, and subvert the government;
such conduct was not only ungenerous and undutiful,
but it was indeed most ungrateful to their southern
brctliren, who stood forth in their cause, when they were
unable to resist the arm of tlie oppressor, it was parrici-
dal. Yet, I cannot consent that the follies or vices or in-
trigues of a few persons, should degrade a whole sister
state, in the eyes of the confederation, and I have too
inuch confidence in the yeomanry of New England, not
to believe they are among the last to abandon the union,
or surrender the right of self-government, to accept a
foreign yoke.

Be this as it may, I perceived in the resort to Henry's
documents a strong propensity to war, and being ordered
to the most feeble, defenceless, and important point of the
union, I considered it my duty, to call the attention of the
executive to its protection, by as strong an appeal to his
fears, his patriotism, and his duty, as my understanding
could conceive ; respect for professional reputation,
the love of country, and the following letter from the se-
cretary of war, enjoined this task upon me ; and the
reader will determine how far I succeeded in the attempt,
and what were the effects produced by my premonitions.

« TFar Department, 13th March, 1812.
« Sir,

" In the moment permitted and allotted to the instruc-
tions relative to your command, it occurs to me that
your ideas of tlie defensive operations which circum-
stances may require, may be extremely useful in form-
ing them ,♦ more especially on the subject of the force, to
be derived from the district called New Feliciana, and
the time for, and terms on which, it may be called forth.
« Respectfully, your obedient servant,
« W. EUSTIS.
<' JBrigadier-general JFilkinson.**

47b MEMOIRS BY

CHAP.

^i- <« Washington, March 28th, 1812,

^^'^^^^'^ it Sir,

« My reflections respecting our south-western frontier
and tlie defence of New Orleans, accompany tliis letter;
and it is my earnest desire, that my orders and instruc-
tions may follow, with as little delay as your convenience
may permit. In the mean time, I beg leave, with the ut-
most deference, to entreat your attention to certain con-
siderations, which emanate from the general principles
of service, and apply to the command on the Missis-
sippi.

« In military service, to establish a fair responsibility,
an officer in trust for the nation, should be trusted with-
out reserve, because half-confidence may produce harm,
but can effect no good. It is consonant with reason and
infallible in practice, that he who is responsible for all
should govern and direct all, without the interposition or
interference of superior authority. Subordination and
discipline depend essentially, on the authority of the chief
over his subordinates j and therefore that authority should
be strengthened by the utmost display of executive sanc-
tions. The slightest indication of distrust, wounds the
character of the general, excites insubordination, and en-
courages disobedience, which is the precursor of anarchy.

<« Independent of the requisites, embraced by the e^i-
mate herewith presented, it is absolutely necessary land
and water transport should be provided for baggage,
camp equipage, stores, and portable magazines of every
species. Covered barges of fifteen and twenty tons bur-
then are most appropriate for water carriage, pack*
horses, wagons and horse carts are best adapted to land
transport. It is submitted for consideration, whether an
attempt should not be made to procure mules and horses
from the Spanish provinces. Draft oxen are preferable
for general operations, because of the facility with which
they are subsisted, but for alert movements they are too
slow. Forty wagons with chains and yokes for three

GENERAL WILKINSON. 47J

pair of oxen each, should be sent from Pennsylvania or chap.
Kentucky. ^*-

« Armourers are indispensable to the preservation of ^'^'"''''^^
the arms, to have them regularly handled, oiled and
wiped J without tiiis attention, the humidity of the climate
will damage them in the course of six months; the public
loss, in this respect has been very considerable on the
Ohio and Mississippi.

« The executive authority should be delegated under
suitable instructions, for the organisation and equipment
of the yeomanry, of the state of Louisiana and the Mis-
sissippi territory.

« The general staff should be appointed without delay,
and as the officer in trust must repose entire confidence
in those who compose it, in respect to their fitness, zeal,
integrity, and personal dispositions, it is a rule of ser-
vice, founded in obvious motives, that he should be con-
sulted in the selection.

*< The most prompt attention should be given to the
medical staff, the medicine, hospital stores, equipments,
and surgical instruments.

«« Our place of arms, grand laboratory and magazines
should be established at the cantonment near Washing-
ton, Mississippi, and buildings should be forthwith erect-
ed for the purpose. New Orleans is too much exposed
for those establishments, and the deterioration of every
thing liable to be effected by the humidity of the atmos-
phere, is rapid and unavoidable at that city.

*« Private business, preparatory to my departure
hence, obliges me to absent myself, until this day wgek,
when I shall be ready to receive your commands.
« With perfect respect,

« I have the honour to be. Sir,
« Your obedient servant,
«JAS. WILKINSON.
« The Hon, William EiistiSf

Secrdary of War.-*

4(7^ MEMOIRS BY

CHAP.
XI.

^ ThougJttSf JlUitary and Political^ concerning the Ultramon-
tane States and Territories, and the importance of the
Mississippi River, — By General Wilkinson.

<i This interesting subject comprehends a vast range ;
to render justice to it, would require time, talents and a
volume 5 but my engagements limit me to a few sheets,
and this is the best excuse I can offer, for the abrupt
manner in which I shall treat it.

" To form an estimate of the wealth, strength and im-
portance, the territory under consideration is destined to
exhibit, at no distant period, we need only cast our eyes
on the map, where an immense region is presented to us,
traversed by the father of rivers and his thousand tribu-
tary streams, whose ramifications extend throughout
more than two-thirds of the national domain ; but how
much is the estimate, enhanced, when to extent we com-
bine soil and climate and productions? soil luxuriant and
inexhaustible; climate equally adapted to the vigour of
youth and the infirmities of age,- products comprehend-
ing the treasures taken from the bowels of the earth, and
every comfort which grows on its surface, from the pre-
cious metals to hardy iron, from wheat and hemp to sugar
and cotton, from the apple to the orange.

« It cannot be denied that the mouth of the Mississippi
forms the most important pass on the globe; since it is
the single outlet for the products of the wide spread coun-
try, watered by its numerous branches, and, in effect,
locks up the western world. Nor will it be contradicted,
by those who understand the subject, tiiat New Orleans
under the fostering hand of a free government, must be-
come the first commercial city in the universe.

« The vital importance of this pass, cannot be too
deeply impressed on the government of the United States;
because the possession of it, interests profoundly the in-
tegrity of the union. Speculative policy therefore should
Lave nothing to do with it, but the utmost energies of tlie
nation should be called forth to defend and maintain the

GENERAL WILKINSON. 473

QCcupancy ; for it must be obvious to all, who admit the chap.
doctrine, that man is swayed by his interests, and that ^'
alleii^iance and protection arc reciprocal, that the power
which commands tlie Mississippi, must ultimately con-
troul the politics of the people, who depend on its navi-
gation f<»r the sale of the fruits of their labours.

<« The territory of Orleans, which compiehends the
several mouths of the Mississippi, is exposed to attack
from two quarters only; bv maritime invasion^ or from
what are called the internal Mexican provinces;* yet,
however remote, expused and destitute of the natural
meansf of defence, it may by seasonable precautions and
the judicious application of the resources of the govern-
ment, be defended against any force (tf reasonable pro-
portion. But should a naval power of enterprise and ca-
pacity, anticipate the necessary measures of defence, and
get possession of New Orleans, it is my belief, the inte-
grity of the union will be jeopardised. For I should be
content to hazard my reputation on the event, that ten
thousand veteran troops, seasoned to tlic climate of the
West Indies, or the same number of disciplined blacks,
under able commanders, in co-operati(»n with a superioc
flotilla, which it is presumed a naval depot at New Or-
leans must always secure, would defend the island 011
which that city stands against any force \ac could send
down the Mississippi^ because it cannot be approached
from the interior but by one route, and that a continued
defile of more than one hundred miles, formed by the
river on one hand and the cypress swamps on the
other.

« The line of maritime invasion to which New Orleans
is exposed, extends from Lake Pontcliartrain on the east
to the river Tesclie on the west, a distance of about
eighty leagues, intersected by several bays, inlets and
rivers, which furnish avenues of approach to the metro-
polis. Of these approaches I consider Lake Pontchar-
train, the River aux Boeuf, the Mississippi, Lake Bara-

* Las provincias internas. f A numerous free poputatlor.

VOL. I. o 0

XI.

474} MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, taria, La Fourche, and the river Tesche, the most con-
venient. But fortunately, the flatness of the coast is
unfavourable every where to the debarkation of troops,
and the bays and inlets being all obstructed by shoals or
bars, no landing can be effected except by the Mississippi,
unless in launches covered by gun boats; and such at-
tempts may be baffled by the superiority of our flotilla,
seasonably and judiciously posted, and supported by sta-
tionary baitcries.

"Nevertheless, an invading force must possess great
advantages over any system of defence that can be de-
vised, which arc to be counteracted by judicious disposi-
tions, incessant vigilance, active exertions and determined
valour. Commanding the coast, with an extensive line to
manoeuvre upoii, an invader can shut up our flotilla, con-
ceal his movements, make his feint where he pleases, and
carry the real attack at his discretion.

" For example, he may make strong demonstrations
of attack oTi the side of Lake Pontchartrain, send
his transports to the westward, and make a descent
by the Fourche, which would bring him into the Mis-
sissij)pi twenty leagues above New Orleans ; or he
may threaten the mouths of the Mississippi, force a pas-
sage into Lake Pontchartrain, and take a choice of land-
ings in the vicinity of tlie city ; or he may sail into Lake
Maurepas, debark without opposition, and by a short
march get possession of the left bank of the Mississippi,
ten or twelve leagues above New Orleans ; or he may as-
cend the Amit river, land at Galvestown, and by a march
of a few- miles, take possession of the left bank of the
river one hundred miles above New Orleans.

« The River aux Boeufs is a few leagues southward of
Lake Pontchartrain, and lies behind the Chandelier
islands, which I am informed furnish a sale, roadstead for
ships of the line. About six leagues up tJiis river, which
gi\es a free navigation of ten or twelve feet water, there
is a good landing, and from thence an open road of eight
leagues over firm groun-.! to New Orleans, but the bar at
its mouth gives four feet water only.

'V

GENERAL WILKINSON. 4/75

" A descent by Lake Barataria would be (he most dif- chap.
ficult, because the approach is by a long narrow creek, ^'
connected witli the Mississippi by a canal for high water,
whi( h communicates with the river on the west side,
about a league above the cityj yet as this route is prac-
ticable, it must be guarded.

« The river Tcsche leads directly to the Attacapas and
Apalousa settlements, and is connected with the Missis-
sippi by the Chafalia and Placqucmine outlets, and also
Viith the Fouixhe by a lateral branchy it must therefore
be watched and defended.

" But the Mississippi is the broad route of approach,
and our greatest safety there is derived from the bar at
its mouth, which shoals the navigation to thirteen or
fourteen feet water. Tiiis secuiity will not, however,
avail us any thing, unless the bar is defended by armed
ve^ssels and floating batteries posted witiiin, competent to
destroy any force which may attempt to enter. At this
point and on tliese means, we must at present rely for
the defence of the river, as the foits which have been
erected, are mere scarecrows, incompetent to obstruct the
passage of a sloop of war, and therefore no means should
be neglected within the power of the government, to
strengthen and endow them suitably.

*< It is a fair coaclusion, that a maritime invader
would press his attack, by one or more of the openings
to which I have had reference, because being destitute of
land transport, he must depend on water communication
for his provisions and stores, as much as Sir William
Howe did when he took possession of Philadelphia; and
it is well known if Commodore Ilazlewood had not
abandoned the back channel into the Schuylkill, the eva-
cuation of Mud island would not have taken place, and
the failure of subsistence would have compelled the Bri-
tish army to have fallen back to Wilmington.

« It is then humbly conceived, that the earliest at-
tention of the government should be given, to the ob-
struction of those avenues of approach— that the requi-
site force sliould be assembled near Natchez and Baton

476 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. Rouge as speedily as possible — that the yeomanry of
^'" the country should be organized, armed, equipped and
arrayed ff)r co-operation without delay, — and that such
dispositions should be made of the wliole, as may best
preserve the health of the trjoops, most effectually secure
a prompt co-operation with our fiotilla, and accelerate
such combinations of our forces as events may render
necessary.

« But should hostilities be delayed, and the Spaniards
continue to occupy Pensacola and Mobile, it is very pos-
sible the British, under the pretext of aiding their ally,
may make their first landing at those places, and ha\ing
established their place of arms and general depot of stores
and provisions, they may, after their troops have been
refreshed and prepared for the enterprize, carry an at-
tack against New Orleans, when time and circumstances
are most favourable. It is questionable whetlier an at-
tempt would be made to march across the country, and
get possession of Natchez or Baton Rouge. It seems im-
probable such an attempt siiould be made, immediately
after the invaders land, because of the defect of trans-
port, yet as it is possible, we sliould be prepared for it.
But it is certain tiiat the British occupancy of Pensacola
and Mobile, would produce the most mischievous effects
on the minds of the Indians; for whoever believes that
the aborigines of this country can be attached to the citi-
zens of it, deceives himself; inasmuch as sympathy is un-
natural, where the wrongs have been all on one side.—'
Under such circumstances, our settlements on the waters
of the Mobile and Pascagola, would be in jeopardy, and
to protect them would require a distinct force, as we
should not dare to withdraw the covering army from
New Orleans, while the enemy commanding the coast,
might, by a sudden movement, make a successful attack
on that city during its absence.

<« In this state of things, with the conviction on our
minds, that the commencement of war with Great Bri-
tain, will be the signal for hostilities to Spain, will not
the United States be justified by the laws of nature and

GENERAL ^VILKINSON. 4.77

the custom of nations, by self pn-scrvation and a just chap.
ground of fear, to anticipate the British in the possession ^'•
of Mobile and Pcnsacola. In such case it should follow-
as a noccesary consequence, that measures be adopted for
the defence of the harbours* of those posts, which might
be accomplished at a moderate expense.

<« Let us recur to the defen( c of New Orleans. It is a
sound presumption, that a maritime invader will make a
direct attack an^ainst that city, by one or more of the
avenues heretofore enumerated, and that understanding
our present feeble unprepared condition, he will give us
as little time as possible to strengthen ourselves. What
then should be our primary measures of defence? Every
essential to the naval or land service to be drawn from the
Atlantic coast, should be expedited to the Mississippi —
the troops destined to the service in that department,
should be hurried forward to the general rendezvous, at
Washington, Mississippi territory, or Baton Rouge — the
officer intrusted with the command should ascertain every
vulnerable point of the coast, and post the necessary
troops and batteries for their defence — the general staff
should be immediately appointed, hastened to the points
of rendezv(»us, and commence the vigorous discharge of
their several functions — all absentees should be peremp-
torily ordered to join, and the levies should be marched
by companies or battalions as fast as they are levied. —
Simultaneous with these arrangements, telegraphic com-
munications should be establisljed from the pass of Chris-
tiana to Fort St. John, within five miles of New Orleans,
and from the Balize to St. ThiJip.

« This work will not be found difficult, because the
Tisual range between the several stations, is over a flat,
naked surface,! exposed to the sea breeze. Despatches
for the residue of the route, from Fort St. Philip to the

* Mobile bay was defended by the post the author erected at the
point.

i Higher up the Mississippi, the reflection from its banks, and the
exhaktioiis from its surface, sensibly affect vision, even with the aid
•f tekscopes.

^78 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, head quarters of the army, must be accelerated by fast

' '■ rowing barges and relays of horses, by which means also

communications are to be made from Lake Barataria,

and the mouths of Aux Bwufs, La Fourche and La

Teschc.

«< A critical examination being essential to the ultimate
dispositions of our means of defence, it would be unpro-
fitable to enter into details at this time; but, it is pre-
sumed, it may not be useless or improper, pending ar-
rangements of such complication and extent, in some
parts unustml in practice and in others difficult of execu-
tion, to exhibit without delay a schedule of the armament
and attirail, requisite to the protection of the important
object of these reflections.

« To defend New Orleans and the mouth of the Mis-
sissippi, against a dominant naval force and six thousand
veteran troops, rank and file, from the West India sta-
tion, the following force is deemed indispensable.

" Four of the heaviest national vessels, which by start- '
ing water, discharging cannon and stores, striking yards
and topmasts, and the application of other means, may
be dragged over the bar into tlie river.

« Forty gun boats, to mount 18 and 24 pounders.

" Six boats to he propelled by steam, to mount an 8 inch
howitzer bow and stern, and to be constructed to trans-
port four hundred men each and a month's provisions.

" Four stout radeaux, to mount ten twenty-four poun-
ders each.

« Ten thousand regular troops, non-commissioned offi-
cers and privates of the fcdlowing composition.

« 294 Dragoons mounted.

« 264 Light artillery.

ii 304 Heavy do.

»'« 9,138 Infantry.

« 1,500 Militia of the Mississippi territory, mounted gun
men and dragoons.

" 2,000 Militia of the state of Louir.iana, artillery and
infantry; both corps to be organized, armed, arrayed
and held in readiness for service.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 41^^

" The armed vessels may in the first instance, be em- chap.
ployed to reconnoitre the coast and keep a look out, but ^'
the important service for which tiiey are intended, is the
defence of the mouths of the Mississippi, and the pass
into Lake Pontchartrain.

" The ^im boats are destined to the same service, and
also for the defence of the inlets of Aux Bteufs, Barata-
ria. La Fourche and Tesche.

« Tlie steam boats are considered most important vc-
liirles of transport, as well as vessels of offence, for alert
movements and the rapid transferrence of men, artillery,
stores and provisions, up and down the river or on the
Takes; in winds, calms or currents, tlie advantages to be
derived from them are incalculable ; and as war craft
they may on smooth water, by the lucky Uight of a single
shell, destroy a vessel of war; preserving at the same
time their distance beyond the portico of the heaviest
cannon. Without these boats, the obstructions from cur-
rents, calms and adverse winds, must forbid all calcula-
tions of punctuality in military movements on the Mis-
sissippi and the lakes. For exemplification, we wiU
suppose a disposable force posted at Baton Rouge, when
a<lvice is received that the enemy have foired the mouths
<if the Mississippi, and are approaciiing the capital —
without steam boats the troops are obliged to embark in
I'ow boats, and may be headed by strong \\inds, which
will force them to land, or so impede tiieir movement,
in spite of every exertion, as either to prevent their
seasonable arrival at the point to be succoured, or to
carry the men into at tion exhausted by f<\tigue, and dis-
ordered by bad weather. The winds prevail from the
south-westward on the Mississippi, with heavy rains
(communibns annis) during tin* latter i)art of autumn, the
whole wihti-r and early pai-t of spring, frequently for se-
veral days successively. 1 recnilrct in N«»vember, 1806,
I was six days and niirhts descending the river from
Fort Adams to New Orleans, in a light eight-oared
barge; and in March, 1810, 1 was five days and nights
makiug the same trip, in a twenty-oared bargo, without

4g0 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, a loail, and worked by a select crew. The service of
^*' steam boats will be equally important in another case ;
high, healthy, good positions for encampments may be
found on the borders of Lake Pontchartrain, opposite the
Bayou St. John ; but the lake being eighteen miles wide^
it cannot be crossed with safety in open boats, and shal-
lops may be detained by calms or adverse winds for many
days successively ; of course, no calculation can be made
on the punctual co-operation of a body of troops, for the
defence of New Orleans, from such position ; and there-
fore it would be too hazardous to be resorted to, however
important to the health of the corps, unless we can avail
ourselves of the agency of these boats; which, in spite of
wind and weather, would save the exposition of the men,
and carry them into action alert and unfatigued; and they
may also be most beneficially employed in the transport
of the sick, stores and baggage.

« Under the conduct of skippers and crews perma-
nently attached to them, these boats and their machinery
might be kept in good order and always ready for prompt
movements. It is presumable the patentees would have
no objection to suffer the use of them in the public ser-
vice; indeed the public safety assures the right to the
government.

« The invading force has been estimated at six thousand
veteran troops; for although in our present unprepared
condition, two thousand men would suffice to force the
mouth of the river, and carry the city with facility, yet
it is presumed no regular invasion will be undertaken
with a smaller force. Ten thousand men are required
for the defence of Louisiana, because that number of un-
disciplined troops, with scarcely an officer who ever look-
ed an enemy in the face, whatever may be their personal
valour, weuld not be an overmatch for six thousand vete-
rans, trained in fire, and led by officers who have been
frequently engaged during a long, active and bloody war.
Strong considerations might be produced to justify ray
demand for this armament; for whilst we have a wide
spread country to protect, the enemy may select his point

GENERAL WILKINSON. 48 A

«F attack; and commanding the coast, ho may make l>i!>i chap.
feint ill one direction, and carry his whole force against ^''
another; whilst our force must be detached and divided
from Mobile to La Tesche, to cover every avenue and
defend every pass ; and therefore we should possess the
best means to accelerate the movement of reinforcements,
or effect the condensation of our corps when and wher€-
over necessary.

*« The composition of the troops is adapted to the ser-
vice, and the dragoons and light artillery will find on the
banks of the Mississippi, the very same duties they may
be required to perform on the banks of the St. Lawrence.
But should the enemy by an extraordinary effort of en-
tei'prize, or their intrigues with tlic Spaniards, bring us
to action on the |)ine plains of Florida, or tlie prairies ol*
Texas, Attacapas, or Apalousa, then these arms would
become all important.

« The execution of this ])lan will cost much labour and
much treasure, and so will any effectual one which can
be devised. But if the country be woi'th saving, it is our
solemn duty to protect it, and to withiiold the necessary
means of defence on the grounds of economy, would be
unwise and unjust in the extreme.

« It may be expected that the dragoons and artillery
horses will occasion an insupportable expense; but this
idea is delusive if suitable measures be seasonably adopt-
ed ; because Indian corn may be delivered at Baton Rouge
at 35 cents per bushel, and hay at ten dollars per ton, and
a horse may be kept in high order in that country, on
ninety bushels of corn and one and a half ton of hay per
annum, which will cost forty-five dollars; from whence
it results, that 630 horses, including those for the dra-
goons, the artillery men and field pieces, may be found
for B28,350 per annum.

"The two brigades of light artillery required, at fif-
teen men per gun, the usual allowance in tlie field, to
work the piece and take charge of the hoises, limbers
4ind caissons, will not man two pieces per thousand in-
fantry, which are too few by at least one per regiment;
VOL. r. ^^ V

48^ MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, and the heavy artillery, after the stationai*y batteries are
manned, will furnish but a small detachment for the guns
of the park.

« With this force, and the arms, ordnance, stores,
equipments, tools, implements and transport compre-
hended in the estimate hereunto annexed, furnished in
due season, I should consider the defence of New Orleans
secured against a maritime invasion, in the strength to
which I have made reference. It must however he un-
derstood, that for the defence of the bays of Pensacola
and Mobile, thirty additional gun boats, four heavy float-
ing batteries, and two stout frigates would be necessary.

*• But while preparing for the defence of New Orleans,
we should not be inattentive to the Mexican provinces ;
for it is a fact derived from good authority, that Great
Britain has appointed three commissioners, to co-operate
with the same number from the Spanish regency, ex-
pressly to effect a reconciliation, and restore the former
relations between the provinces and the parent state.
Whatever may be the effect of these ncgociations, it is
the obvious policy of Great Britain, to acquire some di-
rect or indirect controul over the people of South Ame-
rica, and more particularly those of the Mexican pro-
vinces ; and it appears to be our interest and our policy,
to take measures to counteract tliose views, as it may be
fairly inferred, that tlie Mexicans must become our ene-
mies or our friends^ enemies should the British intrigues
prevail, and the ancient government be re-established—
friends should the natives be enabled to assert and esta-
blish their independence.

« In this state of things, it might be presumptuous in
a subordinate agent of the government, to obtrude his
ideas on a subject of such complication and magnitude ;
yet it is too manifest to wcape notice, that some concert
should be effected with the native chiefs of the internal
provinces, and that this government should be prepared
to furnish them succours of small aims, light artillery,
ammunition, equipments and field equipage, with expe-
rienced officers to instruct them, and select corps from

GENERAL WILKINSON. 4^3

the diflfcrcnt branches of service, as nuclei for the revolu- chap.
tionists to rally around, and skeletons for them to form ^'
by. It would seem that no time sliould be lost in carry-
ing this project into execution, and preparatory thereto,
a couple of light armed vessels should explore the coast
of the gulf west of the Mississippi to Grand river, and
ascertain the entrance into El Espirito Santo bay, where
La Salle landed. I have been informed four or five
fatlioms water may be carried into that bay, and that it
is completely land-locked. The position is certainly the
most convenient for maritime intercourse with the inha-
bitants of the province of Texas, to be found east of
Grand river ; it receives the river St. Antonio or Medi-
na, which is navigable for batteaux eighteen leagues to
the town of La Bahia, situate on the right bank of the
same, twenty-five leagues from St. Antonio the capital of
Texas, to the neighbourhood of which, navigation may be
found for perogiies, during the high waters of the country.
« The critical situation of the Mexican provinces, adds
much weight to the importance of our possession of the
Mississippi ; for if we lose it, wc shall be cut off from all
means of concert with those provinces, and the practica-
bility of succouring them; and is our present force in
that quarter, competent to the defence of New Orleans?
the question will be most satisfactorily resolved, by refer-
ring to the means of defence and their disposition. But it
is a familiar iiUa, that should we lose New Orleans, we
have but to will the re-capture and it follows, ^Those
who make this calculation have not had the opportunity
to examine military operations, on a line of a thousand
or fifteen hundred miles in any direction — much less from
a healthy to an insalubrious climate, it seems to be un-
derstood by those who are thus sanguine, that tlie force
necessary to the expulsion of an invader fioni New Or-
leans, may be drawn from the yeomanry of the states and
territories bordering on the Mississippi, and the waters
which fall into that river. But is the expectation well
founded? Let us inquire. Were I called on to describe
those people, I would s:xy they were Itrave, hardy, pa-

481, MEMOmS BY

CHAP triotic, and actively engaged in the pursuits of fortune,
^'" and tliat they might be classed under the heads of opu-
lence, mediocrity, and indigence. Will the rich man, or
he who can enjoy comfort with bis faniily, abandon the
ease and sweets of domestic life, take arms and march a
thousand or fifteen hundred miles, to meet an enemy in a
sickly climate? Such expectations are neither reasonable
nor natural, and therefore should not be ndied on. But
can a poor man, on whose labour his wife and children
depend for daily support, make this sacrifice? It is im-
possible ! the best feelings of the heart revolt against the
idea. The effects of distant dangers on the human mind
are evanescent, they are neither seen nor felt, and are
therefore disregarded. But let the firesides of the same
men be menaced, and then indeed they will fly to arras
en masse. Here then we meet with an insuperable obsta-
cle at the very threshold of our inquiry, and to the rea-
soning on which it is gniunded, we might add the expe*
rience* of 1803, when a fruitless attempt was made to
engage volunteers provisionally, for the very purpose of
expelling the Spaniards, when it was expected they would
attempt to hold New Orleans, in contempt of our contract
with * 'ranee. But for fear we should make a false esti-
mate of the zeal and patriotism of our fellow citizens, by
doubting their readiness to abandon their wives and chil-
dren, and fly to arms to seek war in a distant land, we
will dismiss this difficulty and admit, that more volun-
teers will offer tiieir services tlian may be required for
the expedition, that they shall be all clothed, armed,
cquipt, found in every essential, and ready to march at a
word. Let us inquire at what season the embarkation
ought to take place, and we shall find it must be either in
autumn or spring; as the frosts of winter and the low
Waters of summer, present insuperable obstructions to the

* A more striking' evidence of tlie difficulty of procuring- freemen
to marcli 1200 or 1500 miles to battle, may be found in the l;ile war,
when the finger of Heaven and the courage of a handful oi" men, saved
the emporium of the west from the ravages of the enemy, in spile of
■the mmi?ial nc'Atci of i'rcsidcut jMadisoa and his minjsteis.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 485

descent of the western rivers. But should the embarka- CHAP,
tion take place in October or November, the troops will ^'
reach the lower country after the winter rains have com-
menced, and the soft light soil of the country is saturated
to its surface; without barracks, towns, villages, or cities
sufli( lent to shelter the men from the weather, they will
find themselves suddenly transferred from comfortable
habitations to a wet bed, under a canvas roof; colds,
fevers, and fluxes will soon ensue, and the natural effects
will be, disaffection, discontent, desertion and discomfi-
ture. If the embarkation be made in spring, the voyage
will be pleasant, but the troops will arrive just in season
for fevers and bilious affections, more dangerous to a
body of raw levies, (men and officers equally igno-
rant of police) than the sword of the enemy; these propo-
sitions are not chimerical, nor are the deductions strain-
ed; they rest on twenty years experience, and are justified
by strict observation, made during many voyages on the
Mississippi. But as we have not yet reached the enemy,
and must not be baffled without his opposition, let us sup-
pose the climate perfectly salubrious, and an army de-
scending the Mississippi in iiigh health and spirits, and
completely equipt for action. It will be necessary to
look out for the enemy ; for we must not drive headlong
into action, unless we intend merely to make a flourish
and beat a retreat, or blindfold rusli on destruction. A
prudent general will approach his antagonist with cau-
tion, he will reconnoitre his position and defences, and as
far as is practicable, ascertain his numbers. It is then^
and not before, that he can make his dispositions, and
conscientiously lead to battle, men whose lives have been
placed in his hands.

« An enemy once in possession of New Orleans, it is
presumed, will employ every means in his power to pre-
serve the acquisition. He may ascend the Mississippi
between four and five hundred miles, (tliat is, above the
settlements of Mississippi territory) station his floating
batteries of every description, from armed barges to
sloops of war, and defend them by fortifications on both

486 MEMOIRS BY

CKAP. banks of the river; he may change his position as often

' ■ as he fmds it necessary, and having slaves to erect his

batteries and perform every laborious service, his troops

will be cherished and preserved for the higher duties of

their profession.

« It will be agieed that whenever we meet the enemy,
should he command the strongest river squadron, we must
be driven on shore j and as there will be no retreat for an
army against the current of the Mississipjvi, in the face of
a superior ilutilla, our baggage, stores, and provisions
must be lost; sliould the event take place twenty leagues
above the Walnut hills, where the higli lands recede
many miles from the river, and the Delta is liable to in-
undation, the catastrophe w^ould be complete and our mis-
fortune incurable. It may be proper in this place to ex-
amine the soundness of the preceding remarks, as they
relate to the capacity of the invader.

*< A dominant naval power, in possession of New Or-
leans, whose fiat is law, will command many resources,
as well for offence as defence ; by starting water and dis-
charging cannon, stores and provisions, he may introduce
as many sloops of war and light frigates, into the Mis-
sissippi, as he may think necessary ; he may establish a
naval depot at New Orleans, and equip, and arm, and
man, as many additional vessels as he may find useful;
he may quarter his troops in the most spacious and airy
buildings of that city; he may establish his general hos-
pitals on the sea board in salutary positions; he may draw
forth slaves to erect fortifications, or be may arm them
at his discretion; he may command the Lakes Pontchar-
train and Maurepiis with light armed vessels, and having
thus secured his rear, with the slaves and Indians at his
devotion, he may advance with his main body and his
flotilla, and make the conquest of the Mississippi territo-
ry ; he may occupy the critical passes of the river, of
which there are several, with his floating defences, and
protect them by cross batteries; he may receive all his
supplies, in river craft, regularly from his magazines at
New Orleans ; he may draw his flour from Vera Cruz

GENERAL WILKINSON. qs?

and liis fi-osli beef from the Attacapas and Apalousa ; he cukv.
may procure lioi-scs and mules in any niimhcr and at ^''
prices incredibly low, from the internal provinces of
Mexico ; (a contract was actually made by tlie j)refcct
Laussatt, with the captain-general of these pruvinces,
to mount General Victor's dragoons ;) he may practise
seductive arts to debauch our citizens, and offer a«i asy-
lum to the adventurous^ the discontented, and the despe-
rate; and being in possession of the country, he may pro-
tect the settlements in the exercise of sclf-govcrnmojit,
may open a trade for them to the British and Spanisli
dominions, and furnish a market for every article of do-
mestic consumption.

« A chief of skill, energy, resource, and disci-etion, in
possession of the lower Mississippi, would have all tljcsc
advantages on his side, and with men and means, iie
might give them full effect. The object is certainly of
sufficient magnitude to make it worthy the severest con-
test, and the utmost vigilance and exertion of the govern-
ment; for should tlie British get the pos.sossion, it will be
a great means of establishing their influence in the Mexi-
can provinces, where they may find every resource of
men, ti-easure and subsistence.

« But sliould the invader be content to limit his enter-
prise to tlic possession, and the command of the river be-
low, he may take post at Bat(»n Rouge, erect fortifica-
tions, and with his flotilla bid us defiance ; because his
resources will l»e at hand and ours at two thousand miles
distance, following the only channel of communication; or
he may fall down below the Eayou Manshac, which in-
sulates New Orleans six months of the year, from whence
tlie only approach to that city is through a defile of more
than one hundred miles, formed by the Mississippi and
the Cypress svxamps, which by simple cross cuts from
the river to the swamp, ia capable of being disputed at
every mile.

♦• The earliest preparative to a descent against such an
enemy, would be the constructiuu of a H(»tiila; and it here
becomes a question, while the enemy has a iiaviil depot

488 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, at New Orleans, witli seamen and officer on the spot.

XI

and we liavc to resort to our Atlantic ports, for cannon,
naval stores, men and commanders, whether we shall be
able to acquire the mastery ?

" 1 have said nothing of a descent over land, because I
consider it impracticable to find an army of fifteen thou-
sand men, the smallest number with which we could ha-
zard the expedition, with portable magazines, ordnance,
and the necessary attirail, through a wilderness of five or
six hundred miles.

« These thoughts have been thrown together in haste,
and under almost incessant interruptions; but as far as
they relate to the exterior and interior defence of New-
Orleans, I beg leave to repeat, that they rest on the ob-
servation and experience of many years.

«' I have not reasoned upon the general effects which
may ensu^ the loss of the emporium of the west, nor have
I glanced at the political or personal consequences which
such an event would infallibly produce, because these
things do not appertain to the province of a soldier; but
I have considered it my duty to the state and the execu-
tive, to point out the dangers by which that emporium is
menaced, and, with my best judgment, to indicate the
means, by which those dangers maybe etfcctually resist-
ed, and the apprehended evils averted.

" Which is respectfidly submitted by

«JAS. WILKINSON.
« Washington, March 28th, 1812."

CSENERAL WILKINSON. 4^9

CHAPTER XII*

Jlemarkson essays of 1799 and 1812, delivered to Major- chap,
general Hamilton and President Madison. — Refers the ^"'
latter to Messrs. Johnson and Clay of Congress. — Orders
of the execntive. — Correspondence with the secretary of
tear. — Reflections on the orders received.-— 'General Wil-
kinson arrives at JSfeiv Orleans and receives the declara-
tion of war. — State of the district. — Council of war.- —
Measures of defence adopted. — Mr. William Darlnfs let-
ter.— Wilkinson receives orders to take Mobile. — Takes a
Spanish transport, and removes a guard. — Mobile sur-
renders by convention the \oth Jipril. — Correspondence
with the Spanish commandant. — Convention. — Corres-
pondence with the Spanith governor. — Same with tlte
secretary of war. — General Wilkinson occupies Mobile
Point which he afterwards fortifies, now called Fort
Bowyer. — Takes jmssession of the right bank of the Per-
dido and projects works. — Major Lawrence's gallant
defence of Fort Bowyer, and the destruction of the
British sloop of war Hermes. — Assistance afforded by
Lieutenant Alexis — General Wilkinson sails for A'*ew
Orleans. — Receives orders to repair to the northward. —
Importance of JVfert? Orleans to the western states. — Ob-
stinacy of President Madison in rejecting Wilkinson- s
plan of defence for that city. — He afterwards regrets
having done so. — His anxietif to share the laurels with
its gallant defenders. — Remarks on General Wilkinson's
instructions. — Fort St. Philip repaired and endowed. —
Condition of works at the Balize, English Turn, Petite
Coqnille, Chef Menteur, ^'C. — Battery established at Mo-
bile Point. — Forward state of the blockship. — Works
and blockship abandoned. — Destruction of arms in tlie
last twenty years attributed to defective regulations.

* The contents of this chapter to "Clay of Congress," were acci-
dcnlully carried into those of the last chapter.
TOT.. J. .^ Q

490 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. '—Conduct of Prcsidejit Madison eccamined.'—Enemtfs
^"- intentions against JVew Orleans unveiled hij reports from

the West Indies and other quarters, and htj their move-
ments from Baltimore. — Wilkinson^s solicitude on the oc-
casion, and his maltreatment by Messrs. Madison and
Armstrong. — He addresses a letter to the secretary of
s war respecting the papers left in J\*ew Orleans. — The
subject is treated iviih marked neglect.^ — General Jack-
son's force, and his loss concealed. — Anns pass Louis-

/ ville for New Orleans, 6tli January, 1815. — Motives

for recording details of events in the Mississippi. — State
in which General Jackson found the fortif cations. —
Effects of the affair at Fort Bowyer. — The enemy's ap-
proach discovered the 9th December, ISl*. — Anchorage
at Ship Island, and movement on the loth. — Motions of
the American flotilla under Lieutenant Jones. — The ene-
my pursues him. — Comparative strength of the respective
armaments. — Heroic resolution, and gallant conduct of
Lieutenant Jones and his officers.' — Enemy deterred from
attacking Petite CoquiUe by the lesson dealt to them at
Mobile Point, and Lieutenant Jones's report. — They pro-
ceed by the Bay oil Bien Venn. — General Keene arrives
on the 29.d, with 2000 men, at Villcre's plantation. —
Reflections on the mal-direction of the enemy's force. —
Fault of the enemy in not pushing direct for JS^ew Or-
leans.— General Jackson resolves to advance and attack
the enemy. — Collects his force and determines upon a
night attack. — Co-operation of Cs)m. Patterson in the
schooner South Carolina. — Enemy surprised and thrown
into confusion, but do not quit the field. — Reflections on
the attack. — J'he conduct of the troops engaged. — Effects
of the affair of the 2Sd, on the enemy. — General Jackson
erects his defences on the narrow part of the plain, —
Conduct of Sir Edward Packenham and the British
troops. — Consequences of the attack of the Sth January,
1815. — Doctor Flood's letter. — Information received from
Lieutenant Jones of the navy. — Dilapidated state of Pe-
tite CoquiUe, and the weakness of its garrison. — By a
more judicious disposition of the British army JVew Or-

GENERAL WILKINSON. 4^1

leans must have fallen^ «'"^ wi//i it inohably General
Jackson and his army. — Conduct of the governor, the go-
vernment, and inhabitants of Louisiana, and of the mili-
tary commander examined and commented on. — Causes
assigned by General Jirmstrong for Wilkinson'' s recal
from the command at JV*<JW Orleans. — Reflections thereon.
— Review of fVilkinson*s conduct and that of the govern-
ment.— Reflections made on the old army. — Jin answer
to them, — Lieutenants Cobb and Blanvclt dishonoured,
and Samuel Helms murdered. — These atrocities sanction'
ed by President Madison. — Jlppeal to the country. — Let-
ter of General Washington.

Subjects of a military nature oftPii require pre- chap.
vious military experience to form accurate judi;ments ^^^-^
upon tliem ; but the rule is not universal, and I persuade Remarks
myself that a perusal of tlie two memoirs contained in ^^^}^^ '"^*

* moirs or

the preceding chapter, will afford to every sensible reader 1799 and
the means of determining upon the degree of vigilance, ^^^^'
zeal, and foresight which I manifested in the discharge
of my duty to my country. But the military reader will
be able, by attention to the measures wliich I recom-
mended, and the time of tl»e recommendation, to per-
ceive, what was done or neglected, by the executive,
and the consequences during the war which followed ;
and the contents of these memoirs will, I trust, bear
testimony to the uniformity of my sentiments, and the im-
portance of the topographical information wliich I sup-
plied. But my solicitude for the safety of New Orleans
was alarmed, from the evident apathy with which the
executive appeared to view this important place; I
therefore determined not to depend altogether on the
disposition of the government, and submitted the memoir

of March, 18J2, to the honourable Mr. Johnson and .K'^*"'^" ^>e
' latter to

the honourable Mr. Clay, members of Congress from Messrs.
Kentucky, the interests of whose constituents would, I J'5''"soa

•' and Clav,

imagined, induce them to bestow attention on the topics of Con-'
presented to their notice j the former gentleman acknow- Z^^^^-
ledged their importance, and seemed to be struck with

49Si IkfEMOlRS BY

CHAP, the necessity of prompt attentions to the subject, but
I am not apprised whether the last gentleman bestow-
Orders of ^^ ^"^ attention on it or not ; and as to the Presi-
the execu- dent, he contented himself with informing me, through
his minister of war, that tiie extravagance of the requisi-
tion would frighten Congress^ and -that I must make out
with the troops, within the Orleans and Mississippi ter-
ritories, and on the 9th April he would have despatched
me, with the following laconic letter of instructions for
my government, in the most critical and remote com-
mand within the national limits.

" War Department, Jpril 9th, 1812.
<f Sir,

«< By order of the President, I request you will repair
to New Orleans, and take the command of the troops and
stations, within the territories of Orleans and the Mis-
sissippi.

<< With respectful consideration,
« I am. Sir,

" Your obedient servant
« VV. EUSTIS.
<^ Brigadier-general Wilkinson.^*

Corres- jjut however credulous in my reliance on executive

with the probity, however blindly confident of the liberality and
secretary justice of the government, I had served too long to enter
npon an important and perilous command under a mere
direction for my journey, I therefore answered tliis letter
of the secretary's on the 11th, and received his reply on
the 15th.

" Washington, »ipril llth, ±8\2.
<^ Sir, ■

<« I had the honour yestel'day to receive your order to I
repair to New Orleans, and take command of the troops
and stations within the territories of Orleans and the
Mississippi. The very general tenor of this order
obliges me to submit, for your solution, several proposi-

GENERAL WILKINSON. 493

tions wliich appear liiglily interesting to the public scr- CHAP.
Tice, and arc certainly essential to my government. '^^

« As 1 have no other motives in making this applica-
tion, but to promote the executive views and the national
interests, to do good and avoid harm, 1 shall comprise
these propositions in as narrow a compass as possible,
relying on your candour to receive them as tliey are in-
tended, and that you will in your answer, treat tliem
with the frankness which the solemn interests of the oc-
casion require.

«( 1st. — Am I, on entering upon the command at New
Orleans, to consider myself authorised to commence
such immediate defensive precautions as my judgment
may direct, for the protection of the country against in-
vasion, or am I to await further orders ?

« 2d. — Will you permit me to inquire what force is
contemplated for the defence of the country to which I
am ordered, by land and by water, of regular troops
and auxiliary militia and their composition, of armed
vessels and floating batteries, their number and kind?

« 3d. — What are to be the respective functions of the
commander of the land forces, and the commodore of the
flotilla; are they to act independently of each other, or is
the senior ofliccr to direct the concert and co-operation
of the whole ?

" 4th. — Shall transport by land and by water, be pre-
pared and held in readiness to meet the exigencies of the
service, in whatever direction required ?

(t 5th. — Shall our general depot and place of arms be
removed from New Orleans, and established at the can-
tonment near Washington in the Mississippi territory?

« 6th. — May expenditures be made for the repair or
improvement of the old fortifications, or the erection of
new ones, should they be deemed necessary ?

« 7th. — Will engineers of capacity and experience be
sent to the department ? two at least are necessary, whe-
ther for field or garrison duty, and I believe there is not
oixe on the station at present.

494; MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. «< 8tli.^ — Will telegraphs be established, barges be fur..
^"* nisbed, and relay horses be allowed, for the transmission
of intelligence ?

« 9th. — May I be permitted to take possession of
Mobile and Pensacola so soon as arrangements can bo
made for the purpose ?

"11th..— What is to be my conduct towards any fo-
reign power, who may take possession of Mobile or Pen-
sacola before a declaration of war ?

« 12th.' — Sliall I be justified in driving the country* to
prevent provisions or transport from falling into the
hands of an enemy ?

« 13tb. — I beg leave to ask whether the yeomanry of
the country are to be organised, armed and arrayed for
service, and whether I should not be instructed in rela-
tion thereto ?

« As my duty will oblige me to make various rapid
transitions, through savage wilds and settlements of du-
bious character, my personal safety will require a mount-
ed escort of swordsmen or gunmen, and therefore I will
beg leave to take into pay a subaltern command of this
description of troops, on such terms as may secure their
service, tliat is, the terms on which the frontier rangers
are employed.

« It is a matter of importance to me, that the officers
of the general staff, destined to act with me, should be
appointed before my departure, that I may prepare them
to meet me at New Orleans; and, therefore, you will par-
don me for requesting your attention to my memoran-
dum of the 9th instant. I must also claim your promise
in favour of Mr. Jonathan Bell, for his nomination to a
subaltern's appointment in the 2d, 3d or 7 th regiments of
infantry, or the old artillery for which his education fits
him.

« Should we be involved in war, and the theatre of
my command be invaded, will you be pleased to desig-

* Removing cattle, horses and stock of ererykind.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 495

natc the source to which application may be made for the chap.
means of procuring intellii^encc. 'f"-

" I shall not delay a moment unnecessarily in com-
mencing my route, and flatter myself I shall be able to
rcacli the point of my destination by the 20th of the next
month. Whatever may be the destinies of our country,
you may rest assured, I shall make the most of the
means I may command ; and whenever occasion may re-
quire it, neither toil, nor peril, nor life, shall be spared
on my part, to assert her interests, and her honour.
« With respectful consideration,
** I have the honour to be, Sir,
<• Your obedient servant,

« JA. WILKINSON.
«< The Hon. William Eustis,

Secretary of FFar."

(t jf^ar Depdrtmentf April \5th, 1812.
« Sir,

« In answer to the inquiries contained in your letter of
the lltli instant, I am instructed by the President to in-
form you, that in addition to the regular troops now on
the station, and such others as may be raised and order-
ed to join you, an auxiliary force, in case of emergency,
may be called out from New Orleans and Mississippi ter-
ritories, under the volunteer or militia law, as may be
found most practicable and convenient. You will be
pleased to make such disposition of the troops, and such
arrangements respecting the fortifications, arms, ord-
nance, arsenals, ordnance, military and other stores, as
well as of the naval force, as your own judgment may
suggest. Moveable ordnance by land and by water, and
a disposable force, with occasional or temporary works,
appearing from the nature and extent of the country,
preferable to a dependence on the permanent fortifications*
it is considered inexpedient to bestow on the latter any con-
siderable labonr or e.rpense^

496

CHAP.
Xll.

MEMOIRS BY

<f In case any extraordinary emergency should arise
or information be received of a meditated attack, ren-
dering it necessary to enlarge the preparations and to
augment the force to a great extent, and there should be
sufficient time to receive an answer, it is desirable that
information thereof should be immediately transmitted ;
if, on the other hand, you are threatened with an imme-
diate attack, by a large armamentf to call out the physi-
cal force of the territories, and to make a proper dispo-
sition and use of the means within your controul, is all
that can be expected. Possession may be taken of Mo-
bile and Pensacola, in case an arrangement has been, or
shall be made with the local authority, for delivering up
the possession of the same to the United States, or in the
event of an attempt to occupy them by any foreign go-
vernment.

« I have the honour to be. Sir,

« Your obedient servant,

« W. EUSTIS.

« Brigadier-general James Wilkinson.''

tteflec- Tlie reader will observe that my importunity could not

tions on extort a manly or derisive reply to my memoir : and the
the orders •' , , , i . , .

received, puny powers conceded were sliackied with provisos, in

their nature absurd, inapplicable to the service, and if
respected, would, after all my warnings, have infallibly
sacrificed New Orleans; in this letter of the 15th from
Doctor Eiistis, the temporising, timid, calculating, inde-
cisive finger of Presidejit Madison is confessed ; move-
able batteries in a country where there are no roads, but
on the margin of the river, were to be preferred; *« no
considerable labour or expense was to be bestowed on
permanent fortifications." «* In case of extraordinary
emergency, or a meditated attack,-' the monstrous idea of
appltjing to the city of Washington for instructions is
suggested; b^it, if <« threatened with an immediate attack,"
then I was *« to call out the physical force of the territo-
ries ;" and " then" to matt an enemy, who was not as

GENERAL WILKINSON. ^^

stupidly blind as the late invaders, it would have been chap.
too late; several thousand stand of small arms had ^"'
reached Washington, from the factory at Harper's Ferry, damaged
before I left that city, but as an economical war department ^rms.
would not afford tarpaulins to cover them, they were ox-
posed to several day's rain, and were as wet as if they
liad been thrown into the river. I oificiously had seve-
ral of the boxes opened, and recommended that the whole
should be dried, oiled and wiped; 1500 or 2000 of the
same muskets reached New Orleans from Charleston,
South Carolina, after the declaration of war, in a fast
sailing schooner, employed for the purpose by Major-ge-
neral Pinckney, but they were damaged.

I arrived at New Orleans the 9tli July, and met the Arrives at
declaration of war in the following note. f^ns^'^

i( War Department, June 19tlh 1812.
*< Sir,

<* War is declared against Great Britain, you will
make such arrangements and dispositions of the means
and force subject to your controul, and adopt such mea-
sures as the knowledge of this event may in your jiidg-
ment require.

" I have the honour to be,
<« Very respectfully. Sir,

« Your obedient servant,
«W. EUSTIS.
« Brigadier-general James Wilkinson,

or officer commanding JVew Orleans.-'

It will be seen in this hasty production, that neither my
means, nor my force is extended, but that President Ma-
dison.in the manifest jjerturbation and terror produced by
his own act, had found it necessary indirectlif to cancel
the provisoes and restrictions, with which I had been
previously shackled; and I determined to take advan-
tage of this precipitancy i and turn it to the safety of the
country, altiiough I afterwards suffered for it*
voir. I. O K

498 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. On calling for returns, and examininj* the state of the
^'^ district, I discovered a fri.a^htful deslitufion of mearis in
Slate ot every branch of service, except the hospital, and that im-
the dis becility and disorder prevailed throuj^liout ; so soon as
coun'ciTof ^ ^^^ clearly ascertained these facts, I convened a coun-
war. cil of war, to avail myself of their conjunct deliberations,

and the following minutes of their proceedings will pre-
sent to the citizens of the United States, the actual situa-
tion of the military defences of New Orleans, on my ar-
rival there to take the command, in July, 1812.

Minutes of a Coiincil of War, holden at JVew Oilcans, Att-
gust 4th, 1812.

Present.

<♦' Brigadier-general Wilkinson,

Commodore Shaw, U. S. navy.

Lieutenant-colonel Purdy, 7th regiment infantry.

Major Macrea, artillery.

Major Carmick, marines.

Captain Patterson, U. S. navy.

Captain Blakeley, U. S. navy.

Colonel R. Shaumburgh, D. Q. M. G.

Benjamin Morgan, esq. D. Com. Gen.
<' The General having submitted to the council, his
correspondence with the secretary of war,* proceeds to
offer the following statement, of the present situation of
affairs.

<' War being declared against Great Britain, the naval
superiority of that power enables her to mask her mari-
time movements, and invade suddenly the state of Louisi-
ana, and the adjacent territoi-y of the Mississippi, direct-
ly or indirectly; by attempting to force the mouth of the
river or some of tlic inlets to this city, between the bay
of St. Louis on the east, and Beller Isle on the west;' or
by taking possession of Mobile and Pensacola, as the ally
of Spain, and projecting her enterprises from thence,

* See vol. iii. page 326.-

GENERAL WILKINSON. 49J^

when the season and other circumstances may be most chap.
favourable. '^"•

** The United States remain at peace with the govern- ^^^^^
ment of Spain ; but a recent communication* from the go-
vernor of Pensacola to Governor Chiiborne, now submitted
to the council, speaks a language too plain to be mistm-
derstood, and too extravagant to be justified. The Ame-
rican government will not tacitly submit to the unmerit'
ed reproaches^ or quietly yield to the unwarrantable pre-
tensions of any power on earth; and should this Spanish
governor adhere to the alternative which he has dared to
propose, hostilities must immediately ensue, and the
points in contest be settled by tlie sword ; for the people
of the United Stales vvill neither rescind a rightf nor
abandon a fellow citizen in any extremity.

«' Thus we find ourselves at open war with one Euro-
pean power, and on the threshold of hostilities with ano-
ther. The quarter confided to the protection of the army
and the flotilla of the Mississippi, is undeniably the most
feeble, tlie most succourless, and, at the same time, the most
important within the national limits; and therefore the
precaution, vigilance and exertion of those in whom the
trust is reposed, should be correspondent. Understand-
ing as the enemy does, the importance of this city and its
dependencies, it is a fair presumption, that he will endea-
vour to make himself master of it ; and being well ac-
quainted with the coast, his maritime domination puts
it in his power to be prepared for a descent, before he
commences his voyage, and it is most probable his arri-
val will furnish us the earliest certain information of
kis intentions.

« Should the views of the enemy be carried, in the first
instance, towards Pensaccda and Mobile, he will discover
that a body of barely fifteen hundred men in possession
of those places, would produce the most injurious impres-
isions on the minds of tl»e Indians ; place the inhabitants
cf that frontier in jeopardy, and expose the governnaent

* S«e Appendix, No. VT

500 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, to an incredible expense, either to protect them or dispos-
^^^' sess the enemy ; because a single frigate may cut off our
water communication to either place, and subject us to
land transport, throiigh a desert of two hundred miles;
for the subsistence, baggage, ordnance, military stores,
and the whole attirail of an army ; incident to obstacles
and delays, which might involve the most pernicious em-
bairassments.

"To mainfain the national rights, to resist invasion
and give protection to this extensive and exposed fron-
tier; supposing every post in our occupancy abandoned,
and every man of the line embodied, who is capable of
active service, not more than one thousand six hundred
Tnen could be arrayed for battle ; to this is combined the
naval force on this station, consisting of two brigs of six-
teen and fourteen guns, ten gun boats, and about one
hundred and fifty marines. But in case of emergency,
" an auxiliary force may be required from the executive
.magistrates of this state and the adjacent territory, under
the volunteer act of the 6th February, or the militia law
of the 11th April, as may be found most practicable and
convenient; and possession may be taken of Mobile and
Pensacola, in case an arrangement has been, or shall be
made, with the local authority, for delivering up the pos-
session of the same to the United States ; or in the event
of an attempt to occupy them by any foreign govern-
ment."

« The arms of tlie troops are rejiorted to be defective,
and those in store are either damaged or require clean-
ing and repairs.

*< The men in general are badly clothed, the public is
greatly in arrears in that article, and there is no pros-
pect of a prompt supply.

« Tiiere is not in store a knapsack to every fifth man,
and the troops '.annot enter on campaign without them.

<« 'J'lie corps are destitute of transport for operations,,
offensive orili'fensive, by land or by v.ater.

** There are no magazines of forage, lung or short.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 501

*< The ordnance department lacks transport* for two CHAP.
six pounders alone; the whole stock of cannon powder ''^"
Would not serve our batteries of 24 pounders only, fifteen
hours at the most moderate service; and the whole stock
of musket powder, includin:^ that which is fixed, would
not serve a column of four thousand men, with more than
seventy-six rounds per man, supposing every pound re-
ported to be good.

"The military stores and implements are greatly de-
ficient, being generally worn out or damaged.

« The fortifications at the English Turn aud Fort St.
Philip are unfinished, and at the former place, there is
not a single gun mounted.

" The quarter-master's department is destitute of
stationery, and with the exception of a few articles on a
very small scale, may be considered, for all the purposes
of vvar, extremely deficient.

« The hospital department is adequately supplied for a
short iieriod, if the troops of the line only are to be consi-
dered, but the medicines and stores on hand are deemed
entirely insufficient for the augmentation uf the establish-
ed force, or the scenes of active vvar.

« The defences of the river are weak, and insufficient
to defend that direct highway to this capital, against the
vigorous attack of a brave and energetic antagonist; and
the avenues of approach by the Lake Barataria, the
Bayou La Fourche and the river Tesche arc entirely un-
iruarded.

" Advice has been received from such a concurrence of
information, that little doubt can be entertained, two
Biitish vftsscis of war have appeared off the bar of Mo-
bile bay, and it seems to be a current opinion, that, that
place will soon be occupied by British troops.

«' Having committed this statement to the considera-
tion of (he council, the General requests their sentiments
on the following propositions.

• Horses to drag two six poundcis.

502 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. « 1st.' — To wait in the present posture of affairs, with-
^^^' out change of position, or the adoption of any expensive
precaution, until a hostifo movement ot the Spaniards, or
an actual invasion of the Britisli shall take place.

a 2(1. — To make every preparation for defence and of-
fence, which the resources of the country and the powers
of the General can effect, without one moment of unne-^
cessary delay.

a 3(J. — To supply the defects of the several depart^
ments by purchase, as liir as may he practicable, and is
deemed necessary to meet all the exigencies of active
war.

« 4th. — To provide transport by land and by water for
the artillery, ammunition, military stores, camp equip-
age, baggage and attirail of a column of two thousand
men.

a 5th. — To defend the river and every avenue leading
from the coast to this capital, by the most judicions dis-
position of our present small naval force, the co-opera-
tion of the troops, and the aid of such batteries, floating
and stationary, as may be judged necessary,

" 6tb. — To require from the exectitive magistrates of
this state and the adjacent territory, their whole disposa-
ble force of volunteers or militia, to co-operate with the
regular troops.

*< 7th. — To distribute the force thus to be drawn fortli
from the yeomanry <if the country, under judicious offi-
cers at Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Barataria, La
Fourche and Fort Stoddert, under such instructions as
may be best calculated to protect the country against in-
vasion, and to preserve its internal tranquillity.

a 8th.. — To embody the troops of the line at the pass
of Christian, and hold them in readiness for prompt and
active operations, to the east or west, offensive and de-
fensive.

" 9th. — To adopt such measures as may most effec-
tually render abortive, the menaces of the Spanish go-
vernor of Pensacola, assert the rights of the nation, and
protect our citizens east of Mobile bay.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 508

« 10th. — To remove tlu' Spanish pilot from Dauphin chap.
Island, in orih'r to cut off aii conimunif utiun with liie '^"
Tcssels of tiip enemy, and to jirovide for the defence of
tJie bar, at the entrance of Mobile bay, if |)ossiblc.

<* nth. — To <inish the batteries and works of Placque-
mine and the English Turn, and to have them suitably
ganisoned and pro|)erly garnished with battering pieces.
«» 12th. — To make the requisite deposit of provisions,
arms, ammunition, tools, stores and camp equipage at
Fort Stoddert, for eventual operations in that quarter.

« The council after mature deliberation disapprove of
the first proposition, and approve of the 2d, 3d, 4th, 5th,
6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 11th and 12th propositions.

*< Of the tenth proposition the council do not feel them-
selves qualified to give an opinion.

JOHN SHAW, Capt. com^g. naval forces.
ROBT. PURDY, Lieut. Col. 7th infantry.
WILL. MACREA, Major, artillerists.
DAN. CARMICK, Major, marine corps.
DAN. T. PATTERSON, Lieut.U.S. navy.
J. BLAKELEY, Lieut, com^g. U.S. navy.
BARTH. SHALMBURGH, D. q. M. G.
BE.NJAMIN MORGAN, D. Com. Gen.'*

The judgment of the council of war concurring with
my own views, and the measures* I had previously adopt-
ed, I determined to press defensive preparations! for the
protection of the country, notwithstanding the discour-
agement expressed in the provisoes and reservations of
the presidential instructions, of the 15th of April. The
Petite Coquille, the mouths of the Mississippi, Mobile
bay, Fort St. Philip and the English Turn, presented
themselves to me as primary objects of attention; and I
appeal to every honest man in New Orleans, aud in the
whole range of the public service from the Balize to Mo-
bile, whether I failed in industry, activity or enterprize?

* See letter to secretary of war, July 28, 1812 ; vol. iii. pnge S3T-
+ See letters to secretary of war, Sept. 22, and Dec. ??i,li, 181::J;
vol. iii. page 33fi.

50^ MEMOIRS BY

CHAlSP:' Neither winds, rains, storms nor tempests ever intei'-
^"' rupted my course, or arrested my progress ; except in-
deed when cast away or upset, whicli happened twice on
Lake Pontchartrain, and in the last instance it was the
interposition of Providence alone whicli saved me from a
watery grave. The following letter from Mr. W. Dar-
by, the ingenious author of a map and geographical de-
scription of Louisiana, who, after making a correct cliart
of the mouths of the Mississippi, had engaged to survey
the coast of the gulf from Clief Menteur* to the Acha-
falia, and the approaches to New Orleans, which I con-
templated to obstruct and defend, will specifically set forth
what were my intentions at the time; and it is a fact
worthy of note, that I mentiojied to Major Carmick of the
marines, more tiian once, that in case of an invasion, I
should look well to the Bayou Bien-venu, as the enemy
might attempt a descent by that inlet, which I knew had
been a noted aTeniie of the smugglers.

« Philadelphia, April 28th, 1816.
« Dear Sir,

« Your favour of the 26th inst. I received yesterday.
You request me to state, as far as my recollection serves,
the substance of a conversation I had with you at your
bead quarters near New Orleans, in the spring of 1813.
In compliance therewitli, I have with the utmost plea-'
sure cast a retrospect on an interview, I never can reflect
on without emotions of gratitude.

"After several years labour in collecting materials for
a map of Louisiana, I found in the early part of 1813 my
resources so far exhausted, as to render an application
to the legislature of that state for pecuniary aid neces-
sary. The applicution was made, but I did not obtain
relief. Resting upon my own exertions, I then applied
to you as commanding general of the district, for aid in
completing a work of public as well as private utility.
You received me in a manner which consoled me, under

• The western pass from Lvike Pontchartrain into Lake Bovgne,
near the Bayou Bien-venuc.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 503

an accumulated pressure of private embarrassment and chap.
public ncji^lect. ^"

«* 1 found you seated at your table, enveloped witU
papers. I delivered a short note of introductirm from
Governor Claiborne, and after readin.^ it, you desired
me to explain my business, views and circumstances,
wliirh 1 did. You then observed that you were ready to
afford me any assistance, consistent with your military
duties, and added, that as the country was in danger of
invasion, and open at various detached points, your in-
tention was to have exact surveys taken, of all the in-
lets from Mobile to Achafalia— to erect forts in the fol-
lowing places. Mobile point. Petite Coquillc, the bank
of the south-east pass of the Mississippi river, Barra-
taria bay, I believe Belle Isle, near tlie mouth of the
Achafalia, and on the Fourchc — to place chevaux de
frise or other impediments in the passes of Chef Men-
teiir. Bayou Bieu-venu, Terre aux Boiufs, Riviere au
Chene, and the various passes of the Mississippi, ex-
cept the south-east ; — and finally, in alt the water-
courses through which an enemy could approach. —
You then informed me, that Mr. Pilie was actually
engaged in examining the passes towards the Mobile,
and you desired me to proceed to the mouth of the Mis-
sissippi, and car "ally measure the widtii and depth of
all the passes, and particularly to determine the distance
from a small island near the south-east channel to the
bar, in order to determine whether a battery could be
erected, within point blank distance of vessels whilst pass-
ing the bar — to determine the distance without the bar,
where sliips of 74 guns could anchor — also to determine
with the utmost exactness in my power, the breadth,
depth and width of the south-west pass, in order to ena-
ble you to estimate with certainty, the quantity and na-
ture of obstruction, sufficient to prevent the entrance of
vessels of war of any draught.

" You then placed at my disposal a detachment of sea
fencibles, to enable me to execute the survey with the
necessary correctness and despatch.
VOB. I. 3 S

506 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP; ■ " The survey was executed in the month of Aprii,
^" and a map ol" the several passes delivered into your office
about the 5th of May, 1813.

«< On an occasion subsequent to the first conversation,
you reiterated your intention to adopt every necessary
measure, to ascertain the assailable points, and to place
cvciy possible impediment against an invatling force.
You also observed, what eventually happened, that the
British would endeavour to force their entrance by Mo-
bile or Pontchartrain, and that the fort built on the Ri-
golets Ol- Petite Coquille, would impede if not arrest their
advance to New Orleans ; you exiiibited to me an old
manuscript map of the sea coast of Louisiana and Flo-
rida, wherein was delineated with considerable precision,
the various rivers, bays and inlets ; you particularly re-
quested information respecting the small water-courses,
between Petite Coquille and Fort St. Philip, such as
Chef Menteur, Bien-venu, Terre aux Boeufs, and the
Riviere au Chene ; it was then concluded for me to com-
mence an actual survey, from the Chef Menteur to the
Achafalia river.

*» The preparations were in considerable advance for
the expedition, when you were commanded to the north-
ern army. With your departure? ended all the public as-
sistance I ever received in the execution of my work.

«< It may be irrelevant to the subject f)f your I'equest,
but I cannot forbear to express my couviclion, that had
your plan of defence been carried into effect, no foreign
force could ever advance in a hostile manner to the rreigh-
bourhood of New Orleajis ; the natur'e of the country
renders all appr'oach of an ar-my by land, from the gulf
of Mexico, impossible, and the r'esult of the operations at
Mobile point and Fort St. Philip, demonstr'ate what for-
midable obstacles small forts are, in such positions, to the
passage of ships of war; their repulse at Mobile point
no doubt pr-evented Petite Coquille fi'om being attacked
by the British. 1 have seen enough to convince me, that
British soldiere can perform all that human beings can

GENERAL WILKINSON. 5O7

Jiccomplisli, but to reach New Orleans against the proper chap.
means ol'dclencc is beyoinl their power. ^"

*« I'he above may not be verbally our conversation;
but from the stronji^ impression miidc upon my mind, and
from s(d}sequent events so calculated to awaken recollec-
tion, I am confident the matter is correctly stated.
" Termit mc to be, Sir,
ti Witli much respect,

« Your obedient servant,

" W1LLL\M DARBY.
«< General James tVilkinsdn,**

Whilst actively engaged on tlie works of Petite Co- Wilkinson
quille, the English Turn, St. Philip and the Balize; and ''^^e'ves

. orders lo

in collecting and preparing materials for other points of lake Mo-
defence, in which 1 received the zcialous co-operation of ^'^^'
the navy and Commdore Shaw; who had at my instance
laid down a block ship, to mount a heavy battery of 24
pounders, for the express defence of the approach by
Lakes Borgtie and Pontchartrain ; I received an order
on the 14th of March, from General John Armstrong
who had been appointed to the war department, to pos-
sess myself of the country west of the Peidido, and par-
ticularly of the town and fortress of Mobile.*^ It was ne-
cessary to mask the design, to prevent the post from
being reinforced from Pensacola, and thereby to save the
effusion of blood, which national policy as well as huma-
nity forbade. Measures were taken with Commodore
Shaw and the navy, and the ne^ssaiy equipments were
pressed, but we were not able to reach the vicinity of the
place before the night of the 8th; dispossessing a Sj)anish
guard at Dauphin island in our route, and intircepting a
Spanish transport destined to Mobile, having on board
an officer and a detachment of artillerists, with provi-
sions and munitions of wai* for the garrison. The fu'st
intimation of our approach to the Spaniards was from
our drums. The place was strong and well found in ar-

• gee vol. iii. page 339—40.

50a MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, tillery, but the garrison consisted of one hundred and
^'^ fifty combatants only, and was short of pr«)visions, as
they depended chiefly upon the town for daily subsistence.
In case of resistance I had intended to indulge six hun-
dred men with the escalade of Fort Charlotte, the posi-
tion and form of which I perfectly understood, and lad-
The place ders had accordingly been prepared; but the comman-
derrby ^^^^ surrendered under a convention on the 13th, and
conven. singular as it may appear, when the surrender was an-
16th 0/ nounced, the mortification of my oflicers* and men was
■'^P"!- manifest. If there be any credit due to this diminutive
affair. Commodore Shaw and the navy are entitled to a
full share of it; but when merits are measured by blood,
we can have no pretensions to commendation. The fol-
lowing particulars, as mere matter of record, may be
worthy of a place in these memoirs, as they have not
been promulgated by the government.

<« Camp near Mobile, Jlpril I2th, 1813.
•< Sir,

« The troops of the United States under my command
do not approach you as the enemies uf Spain, but by
order of the President they come to relieve the garrison
which you command, from the occupancy of a post within
the legitimate limits of those states. I therefore hope.
Sir, that you may peacefully retire from Fort Charlotte,
and from the bounds of the Mississippi territory (east of
the Perdido river) with the garrison you command, and
the public and private property which may appertain
thereto.

" I flatter myself that you will meet a proposition so
reasonable and so just, in the amicable spirit with which
it is ofiered, and that no time may be unnecessarily lost

• The detachment taken from the 3d and 7th regiments, was com-
manded by that excellent officer. Major Carmick of the marines, and
more physical force, energy of character, or perfect formation than
this body of 600 infantry exhibited, has not been shewn in the army
of the United States l>efore or since.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 609

in carrying it into execution. My aid-dc-camp, Major CHAP.
H. D. Peirc, will present you this note, and if convenient ^"'
to you, will receive your answer.

« With all due consideration and respect,
« I have the honour to be,

<* Your most ob't humble serv*t,
«JA. WILKINSON.
« The Officer commanding Fort Charlotte.**

<•- Fort Charlotte, Mobile , April I3th, 1813.

« Most Excellent Sir,

" I ha> c marked the contents of your letter of yester-
day, and I have commissioned Lieutenant Don Francisco
Morrison to confer with your excellency on the points in
dispute.

« God preserve your excellency many years.

« CAYETANO PEREZ.
« flits Excellency Don James JVilkinson,**

« Camp near Mobile, April isth, 1813.
« Sir,

«* I have received your answer to the proposition con-
tained in my letter of yesterday, and concur in every par-
ticular, with the exception to the removal of the artillery
and munitions of war, which must be bona fide delivered
to an officer of the corps I command, who will receipt for
the arti( les he may receive, and make the government of
the United States accountable for the same. This mea-
sure is indispensable to the prompt evacuation of the
place, which cannot be defended, whatever may be the
gallantry of the garrison, because it is without provision,
and by the disposition of the forces under my command,
is cutoff from the possibility of succour.

** Should wind and weather permit, transports will be
furnished this day ; the garrison must commence its em-
barkation to-morrow morning, and the next day posses-

\

HO

MEMOIRS BY

CHAP.
Xll.

sion must be given to a detacliment of the artillery and
infantry of the United States.

** The flotilla under my direction will move up to the
town to-day, but no communication will be permitted
further than the landing of camp equipage, baggage and
provisions.

« I have the honour to be,
« Respectfully, Sir,

" Your obedient servant,

« JA. WILKINSON.
** Captain Cayetano Perea,

Commanding Fort Charlotte.^*

CONVENTION.

« Convencion hecha en
estedialSde Abrilde 1813,
entre el Mayor-general Don
Jayme Wilkinson, comman-
dante de las fuerzas de los
Estad«)S Unidos de Ameri-
ca, y el Capitan Don Cay-
etano Perez, mandando la
guarnicion Espanola del
Fuerte Carlota de Mobila.

"Convention entered into
on the 13th of April, 1813,
between Major Gen. James
Wilkinson, commanding
the forces of the United
Slates of America, and
Captain Don Cayetano Pe-
rez, commanding the Spa-
nish garrison of Fort Char-
lotte, Mobile.

AHTICLES.

« 1. Capitan Don Cay-
etano Perez propone eva-
guar con la guarnicion de
su mando, el Id dc Abril,

1813..

<« 2. Que la guarnicion
Espanola estando destituida

" 1. Captain Cayetano
Perez proposes to evacuate
Fort Charlotte on the 15th
April, 1813.

« Agreed, for the hour
of 5 o'clock, P.M. But a
detachment of the troops of
the United States shall take
post in the vicinity of the
fort, to occupy it in the mo-
ment of its evacuation.

« 2. The Spanish garri-
son being destitue of provi-

GENERAL AVILKINSON.

511

dc provicionos, unica caiina
que \c precisa evHguar, sera
pnivista <lc ▼ivcrrs,y trans-
porter para Panzacola.

f 5. Que le artilleria y
todo lo que corresponde a
ella, y las municioncs de
guerra actualmente en la
Fucrte Carlota, sera em-
barcada con las tropas, y
se esta propocicion ne se
admite, se nombrara, por
cl commandante Espanol,
un oflicial para quel unido
con otro del mismo grade
de los Estados Unidos, to-
men un inventario de la ar-
tilleria, y municiones de
guerra; de todo lo qgal el
official Americano, dara un
recibo obligatario, autori-
zado por el General, con-

sions, a supply is required, CTIAP.
together witfi transp»»rls to ^"
convey the troops to Pcu-
sacola.

it A.2;reed — But the Spa-
nish government sliall be
accountable to the United
States (or the expense. The
vessels to sail as Hags of
truce, and to be guaranteed
by the government of Spain
against capture, and also
against port charges and
pi'Otage. Major-general
Wilkinson engages, on the
part of the United States, to
guarantee the safe passage
of tiie Spanish garrison,
against the vessels of those
states, and the powers at
peace with them.

« 3. Captain Perez pro-
poses that the cannon, its
attirail, and the munitions
of war belonging to it, ac-
tually in Fort Charlotte,
shall be embarked with the
troops; or should this pro-
position be rejected, an offi-
cer shall be appointed by
the Spanish commandant,
to meet an officer of equal
rank of the American forces,
to take an inventory of the
artillery and munitions of
war, for which the Ameri-
can officer shall give re-
ceipts, obligatory on the
American gorcrnment, to

51S

MEMOIRS BY

CHAP.
XII.

tra el Gobierno Americano,
de que se dara cuenta al
Gobierno Espanol.

«< i. Que basta quel la
guarnicion, no se haga a
la vela, las tropas Ameri-
canos, un se acercaran al
fuerte.

** 5. Que un official de
artillcria, y el guarda al-
maren de los guarnicion Es-
panol, se permita queder,
para inventarian la artil-
leria, y municiones de guer-
ra, quel pertenecer a ella
y chancetar, las cuentas de
la guarnicion baso la fran-
za de spguridad, contra to-
da molestacion de personas,
papeles o propriedades.

« Mobila y Fuerte Car-
lota, 13 de Abril de 1813.

« CAYETANO PEREZ."

account for tbesanue to tbe
Spanish government.

« The first proposition
being rejected, the alterna-
tive is acceded to, and Ma-
jor-general Wilkinson will
see it carried into effect.

« 4. That until the Spa-
nish garrison has sailed,
tbe American troops shall
not approach the fort.

« Agreed, under tbe sti-
pulation of the first article,
that precaution being ne-
cessary to the safety of the
public property.

« 5. That an officer of
artillery, and a quarter-
master of the Spanish gar-
rison, be permitted to re-
main to deliver the artil-
lery and munitions of war
appurtenant thereto, and to
settle the accounts of the
garrison, under a guarantee
of safety against tbe moles-
tation of persons, papers or
property.

« Agreed until tbe ob-
jects of their respective du-
ties shall be accomplished.

« Mobile, Fort Char-
lotte, April 13, 1813.

« HENRY D. PEIRE,

Major of Louisiana Vol,
and aid-de-camp to Ma-
jor-General Wilkinson^
being duly authorised,**

GENERAL WILKINSON.

018

ADDITIONAL ARTICLE.

CHAP.

xir

*> Las parties contrac-
lantcs combicncn, que cl
Tcnientc Sands, del 1 rc-
giiuientc de artilleria do los
Estados Unidos, y cl Te-
nicntc dc diclio cucrpo, al
scrvireo de S. M. C Don
Juan Estcvez, cxaminaran,
cntivgaran, y se daran rc-
cibos correspondentcs, por
la artilleria y municiones
de jj;uerra, quel la guarni-
cion, pucda desar en el
Fuertc Carlota.

<« CAYETANO PEREZ."

« The contracting par-
ties agree that Lieutenant
Sands of the 1st regiment
of artillery, on the part of
the United States, and Lieu-
tenant Don Juan Estcvez,
on the part of the Spanish
government, shall meet, ex-
amine, and form invcnto-
lit's of tlic artillery and mu-
nitions of war, which may
he left in Fort Charlotte by
the Spanish guarrison, for
which the said Lieutenant
Sands shall give duplicate
receipts, agreeably to the
third article.

« H. D. PEIRE,

Major ^* Aid-dc-cami}.-'

GENERAL OJRDERS.

« Moh'Uej 15th Jpril, 1S13.
« Lieutenant Sands of the artillery, is appointed on th©
part of the United States, to meet an officer of the Spa-
nish artillery, in order to make an inventory of the ord-
nance, ammunition and military stores, to be left in Fort
Charlotte, and will receipt in duplicate for the same, as
the agent for the government.

(Signed) «JA. WILKINSON.

TRUE COPY.

« A. L. gANDS, Lieut ^rtr

VOL. I.

3 T

514* MEMOIRS BY

CHAP.
XII. Inventory of ordnance and munitions of •mar, received of Lieutenant Bon
V^"V^.' Juan Estevcz, of his Catholic Majesty's urtillery, by Lieutenant A. It.
Sands, of the United States regiment of artillerists, agreeably to the
convention of Fort Charlotte, Jllobile.

FIT FOR SERVICE.

2 i

iron

18 pounders, French

357

6 pound grape shot

6

do

12 do

do

187

4 do do

8

do

9 do

do

15

3 do do

2

do

8 do

do

23

^ do do

6

do

6 do

do

2332

1 do shot for grape

13

do

4 do

do

. 400

i do do

9

do

^ pound

swivels, do

150

A do do

3b

irass

4 pound'

s. mounted do

1470

2 oz. do

1 '

do

5^ in. h

owitz. do do

35

18 pounders filled cylin-

4 do

1 pound swivels, do

ders.

9

24]

pound round shot

42

12 do do

308

18

do

do

158

8 do do

962

12

do

do

119

6 do do

1158

9

do

do

199

4 do do

1403

6

do

do

40

3 do do -

1901

4

do

do

6

1 do do

90

6

double head shot

8

J do do

72

Si

inch shells, empty-

100

i do do

224

5^

do

do

2407 linen cylinders, assorted

25

8

do

filled

60

4 pound flannel cylinders.

51

5^

do

do fuse

assorted

an

d powder damaged

1

Spanish Jack and lever

161

8i

inch filled fuzes

1

do gin, complete

150

H

do

40 barrels of charcoal

10

24

pound cannister shot

995

sand bags

47

18

do

do

154

4 lb. round shot, wilb

60

12-

do

do

wooden sabots

103

9

do

do

43764

musket flints

187

8

do

do

4560 bull cartridges

102

6

do

do

1680

moss wads, assorted

159

4

do

do

48

faggot torches

61

3

do

do

6

marine fire grapplings

45

1

do

do

14

marine fire bottles

86

1

do

do

83 fire balls

216

i

do

do

7

steel spikes

186

i

do

do

1 white muslin flag

42

18

do grape shot

37

iron stools for grape

279

12

do

do

61

pounds of wax candles for

Q

9

do

do

the magazine

191

8

do

do

4627 lbs. lea,d balls, assorted

GENERAL WILKINSON.

6i6

139 lbs. buck shot

40 lbs. small nails
196 lbs. 7 iiicli spikes
193 lbs. 5 do

85 port fires

40 powfler horns
265 raw hide sand baskets

3 cannon slings
145 beds and coins

20 tompions
18 lead aprons

4 powder wire sieves
1 blacksmith's anvil

1 tinman's do
1180 lbs. pifr lead

40 bayonets

3 halberts

6 crooked handles for 4 lb;
spiinges
62 handspikes

2 gunner's quadrants

1 pair washer hooks

2 pair nippers for placing

shells
2 screw wrenches
2 wooden fuze sets
2 tin powder funnels
2 iron port fire formers

2 port fire stocks
li lbs. spunge

9 crow-bars

12 washers

47 ladles, assorted

43 worms, do

31 gun scrapers, do

40 rammers, do
113 lbs. bar iron
188 lbs. steel

87 lbs. dry Spanish brown

12 musket cartridge formers

3 lint stocks

1 wooden spetula

1 leather port fire case

1 leather tube bag

1 priming wire

2 grind stones

4 hooks and tiiimblcs
87 pick axes
30 hoes

2 melting ladles

2 lead skimmers

8 drawing knives

2 frows

3 carpenter's adzes
41 trunnion plates

1 large beam and scales
200 lbs. iron weights

4 carpenter's iron squares
3 blacksmith's sledges

2 stone do

1 pair crop bit tongs

2 pair blacksmith's do
2 pair bullet cutters

10 screw augers, assorted

2 pair carpenter's compasses
45 chissels, assorted

15 gouges, do

3 smoothing planes
7 whip saws

2 whip saw boxes

3 blacksmith's vices
2 fascine hatchets

9 tin lanthorns
2 dark do

4 tin cylinder cases
6 cross cut saws

2 copper measureSjforpowder

22 copper hoops
2 bullet & buck shot moulds
4 large ammuniiion boxes
1 large launch, without oars
or sails

12 cedar water buckets
1 copper mai^azine lock

1 conductor 8c lightning rod

2 tarpaulins

4050 ll)s. cannon powder.
450 lbs. musket do.

CHAP.
XII.

516 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP.

Xll.

UNFIT FOR SERVICE.

1 iron 8 pounder

21 4 pound cylinder^

3 do 6 do

429 3 inch hand grenade*

1 do 4 do

18 rockets

2 do 2 do

35 Spanish truck carriages

2 do 1 pound swivel

5 2390 lbs. powder, middluig

4 do J do do

1710 lbs. do bad

1 brass 8 inch mortfir

2 tarpaulins.

A. L.

SANDS, Lieut. Art. As. JOep. Com. of Ord.
and Agent of the United States.

« Panaacola, 12 de Abril, de ISiS.
»<Excellentissimo Senor,

<« En la manana de este dia, se me ha presentado el
destacaraento quel se hallaba en el puesto de la Isla Del-
fina, expresando liaberle mandado retirar las tropas del
cargo de V. E. Este incidente me ha sorprendido, pues
no teniendo, yo noticia dc quel los Estados Unidos, ha-
yan declarado la guerra a' la nacion Espanola, ni esta a*
aquellos, me es sobiemanera doloroso, y reparable ver
cometcr una decidida hostilidad por tropas neutrales j
amigas en un territorio Espanol, cuyo mando y conser-
vacion me esia encomendada ; y aun quando no hubiese
sido obligado a retirarse e! destacamento, siempre me
admiraria la emrada dc V. E. y de sus tropas en esta
provincia sin miconocimiento y participacion. Han sido
tambien detenidos \ arios buques sin permitirst-les la en-
trada en Movila, cuyo procediuiiento es igualmente hos-
lil : y desdc luego tales dcmonstraciones me estrechan a
preguntar solamente a V. E. se nuestras dos naciones se
cncuentran ya en declarada guerra. Con esta ocasioa
tengo el honor dc manlfestar a V. E. la alta considera-
cion con que lo distringo.

*< Dios guarde a V. E. muchos annos.
« MAURICIO ZUNIGA."

»« Exmo. Scnor Don Jaijme Wilkinso7i."

CJENERAL WILKINSON. 517

CHAP.
(translation.) XII.

« Pensacolay i2lh ^pril, 1813.
'" Most Excellent Sir,

« On the morning of this day, the detachment which \
had posted on Dauphin Island, presented themselves to
me, saying, that it had retreated from that post by order
of your excellency. This circumstance has surprised me
much, as I possess no information whatever, tliat the
United States has declared war against the Spanish na-
tion, nor the latter against them. It is to me as painful
in the extreme, as it is singular, to observe an hostility
so decided by neutral troops, and friends, within the Spa-
nish territory, the command and preservation of which,
has been committed to me; and even if the detachment
had not been compelled to retreat, I should have been
surprised, at the arrival of your excellency and your
army in this province, without my knowledge or par-
ticipation.

" It appears there have been several vessels detained,
and prevented from entering the port of Mobile which
act is equally hostile, and consequently such demonstra-
tions oblige me, to ask your excellency the simple ques-
tion, whether our two nations have already declared
war?

« I have the honour on this occasion to manifest to-
wards your excellency, the high consideration in which
1 hold you, may God preserve your exellency a thousand
years.

"MAURICE ZUNIGA.
« His Excellency

General James Wilkinson^'

« Fort Charlotte, .Mobile, April 16th, 1813.
« Sir,

" Yesterday about 1 o'clock, P. M. I had tljc honour
to receive your excellency's letter of the li2th instant,

018 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP from the hands of Don Bernard Prieto, to which I shall
reply with the frankness of a soldier, and without circum-
locution or concealment.

<* In taking possession of this fortress, I have merely
obeyed the onh'rs of the President of the United States,
to assert the laws of the {government, and enforce the civil
institutions of the Mississippi territory, as far as the
river Perdido 5 all the antecedent measures taken by the
forces under my command, were precautionary to cut off
reinforcements and supplies, and 1 thank God they have
had the effect, to prevent the effusion of a drop of blood.

** I am sensible no war exists between our respective
nations, and I pray Heaven to avert the evil ; I therefore
did not approach the late garrison of Fort Charlotte, with
hostile intentions against Spain, but to relieve it from an
occupancy deemed illegitimate by the sovereign councils
of my country, and higlily inconvenient to its citizens 5
and I will take the liberty to refer you to my correspon-
dence with Captain Perez, for evidence of the amicable
course I have given to the whole transaction.

« I beg leave to reciprocate the sentiments of respect,
and personal good wishes with whicli you honour me;
and am with the highest consideration,
" Your Excellency's

« Most obedient servant,

«JA. WILKINSON.
« His Excellency
s Don Manuel Ziiniga.'* *

a Fort Charlottef Mobile, Jpril ±6th, 1813.
" Sir,

*< 1 have the pleasure to address you from this place,
of wliich I got possession yesterday evening without an
appeal to arms. The documents under cover will best
expose to you the course I have pursued, which may, I
hope, meet the approbation of the executive. It is some-
\vl>.at diflicult to give an amicable aspect, to the investis-
sement of a military post, but I have made the attempt,
with what success you arc to judge.

GENERAL WILiaNSON. 519

« You will perceive I have resisted tiic embarkation of CHAP.
the cannon and military stores. A just ground of appre- ^"
liension, founded on confidential advice received the night
of the 12th, wiiich you will find under another cover, led
to this step, on which I beg to receive tlic determination
of the executive, for my government, as speedily as pos-
sible.

« The co-operation whicii I had designed by land and
water, to deprive the garrison, not only of succour but of
advice from Pensacola, succeeded admirably and with
complete effect. Much credit is due to Commodore Shuw
and to Lieutenant-colonel Bowycr, for their promptitude
and decision; and the countenance of the little corps I
command, composed of detachments from the 3d and 7tli
infantry, with one conipany of artillery and a body of
Mobile volunteers, justify the belief; that whenever put
to the test they will prove tliemselves worthy the name
of Americans, and amatcli for equal numbers, taken from
the best troops in the world.

*' As soon as I have looked about me, I shall make the
best disposition of my puny force, to defend the country
and assert our jurisdiction to the Pordido. But, Sir, it
should be remembered, that I am placed in a perilous
situation, with the ocean in my front, the Creek nation
in my rear, the Choctavvs on ray riglit, and the Scmi-
noles on my left. The inclosed will give you my effec-
tive strength, and I can expect no succour but by the
abandonment of New Orleans, from any quarter nearer
than Tennessee or Georgia; it follows, that should wc
be attacked in force and with decision, by land and water,
the country must be lost; for two thousand men and fil-
tcen gun boats, would be necessary to resist such an at-
tack succt>ssfully. These observations are made from a
respect to candour, to justice and our relative stations,
and will i have no doubt be received with the spirit in
which they are offered. Yet you may calculate with con-
fidence, on wiiatever my most active exertions and be^t
Judgment can effect, with the means I command.

520 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. a You have under cover a return of the ordnance found
^ ■ in Fort Charlotte, amounting to 47 pieces. It will take
several days to inventory the amount of the stores, tools
and implements.

<« I yesterday received a letter from his excellency Go-
vernor Zuniga, of which you have a copy under cover,
together with my answer.
, « With great respect,

« I have the honour to be, Sir,
<« Your obedient servant,
(Signed) " JA. WILKINSON.

« The Hon. General Armstrongt
Secretary of War,''

pPRIVATE.]

« Fort Charlotte, Mobile, Jiyril ISth, 1813.
« Sir,

<*The inclosed information from a secret agent whom
I had stationed at Pensacola, and in whom I can depend,
determined me to prevent the removal of the artillery, and
munitions of war from Fort Charlotte, because they are
necessary to the defence of the harbour and the post; and
we may find it extremely difficult in the progress of the
war, to replace tiiem. If I mistake not, by the treaty of
cession with France, it was made optional with the Unit-
ed States, to hold the Spanish artillery at a fair price 5
but we injudiciously declined the purchase, when we took
possession of New Orleans, and it was removed by the
Spaniards to Pensacola. From the best information I
possess, I believe the bay may be commanded by a heavy
lattery at Mobile point, with the co-operatio7i of a sivfficient
force of gun boats. 1 shall examine the position and the
channel in a few days, and if I find the plan feasible, I
propose to erect a post there, with a garrison competent
to resist any predatory attempt; and in such case 1 shall
be obliged to employ ten or twelve of the heaviest guns of
this place.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 5ti

"I will send you by tbc next mail a plan of this fort, cn.M'.
and an cstifnatc r»f the sum ncrcs.sary to make it di'fnisi- ^"•
ble. It was built by tlic FreiK h before the war of '50, ^^'"'^^*^
and is a regular quadrangular work with four bastions,
and casements for live hiitidrcd men; and it would ret|uiip.
that force, to make a stout resistance against an invad-
ing army.

«« The carriages of the gims are all of Spanish con-
struction, greatly defective and unfit to sustain a heavy
cannonade. I'licy must be all renuunited, and this ser-
vice can be performed at our laboratory and work shops
in New Orleans only.

" / intreat Ihal the secretary of the navy may authorise^
the Increase of our gun bouts and block ships, by every mean^
in our power. The Lord Nelson merchant ship, of which
1 have bcftire written yoii, should be armed and equipt.
She is new, is coppered to her bends and copper fastened
every whei'c. 1 asked in my memoir on the defence of
this country forty additional gnn boats, and if my request
had been attended to, xve might rest in tranquillity. We
have of those vessels only fixe fit for service, and three of
these a few days since, offered the Herald sloop of war
battle, in seven fathom water, but after exchanging a
few shot, she declined the combat and slieercd off.

« With perfect respect, I am, Sir,
<' Your obedient servant,
(Signed) « JA. WILKINSON.

« The Hon. John Jrmsti'ong,

Secretary of ff'ar."

" ff'ar Department, 22d May, 1813.
« Sir,

« Your despatches of the 16th and 20th Api-il last,
dated from Mobile, have been received. It gives much
satisfaction that the business has been managed in a way
to avoid the effusion of blood, and under forms, whicli
leave the friendly relations of the two poweis unim-
paired.

VOL. L S U

^%% MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. "Your question in relation to the cannon, is under
^"- consideration ', in the mean time, if practicable, their car-
riages may be repaired.

"Advices througii other channels, and directly from
Pensacola, state, that though the garrison has been api^a-
rently strengthened by one hundred mulatoes — this in-
creased number has added much to their embarrassment,
on the score of subsistence. Until their wants on this
head are supplied, they are in no condition, either to
maintain their own post (if attacked) or to disturb your's.
« Congress meet on Monday next. Fou will await
further orders. Accept, Sir, the assurances of ray very
high respect.

(Signed) « JOHN ARMSTRONG."

With respect to the Spanish artilleiy and munitions of
war taken in Fort Charlotte, which I detained on the
grounds assigned in my letter to the secretary of war of
the 16th of April, I have never received any other infor-
mation, than that contained in the secretary's answer of
the 22d of May. A few days after the surrender of Fort
Charlotte, I examined the position of Mobile point, and
the direction of the channel into the bay, and determined
General ^o occupy the former. For this purpose, nine of the

Wilkinson . . ^ . , , n ii c. • i

occupies heaviest pieces taken irom the Spaniards were or-

Mobile (lered thither to be placed in battery, and in the mean
time my attention was carried to the prosecution of my
orders. I crossed the country forty miles to the right
bank of the Perdido, about five leagues from Pensacola,
where I projected a strong stockade work with block-
houses, and intrusted the execution to Colonel John
Bowyer. I then reconnoitred Perdido bay, and ascend-
ing a handsome arm of it, which enters from the west-
ward, I traversed a portage,* of two miles across a pine

* I had previously discovered this inland communication, and by
it had already opened a road, and transported provisions, artillery
and munitions of war to Colonel Bowyer, at the post which be was
erecting on the Perdido, which was broke up, 1 presume by order of
the President.

point

GENERAL WTLItlNSON. 523

plain, to a navigable creek, which falls into the bay of chat*.
Bon Soucour, by which I proceeded to Mobile point, ^"^
wliere, with the assistance of the modest, amiable and iii-
tcHigcnt engineer, Monsieur Pilie, I planned and staked
out a work called Seraf, afterwards named Bowyer, and
distinguished by the gallant defence of Major Lawrence,
and* the destruction of the Hermes sloop of war; and thus
this work by impairing the confidence of the enemy, laid
the foundation of the safety of New Orleans. That ex-
cellent naval officer. Lieutenant Alexis, who, should he
receive due patronage, will do honour to his profession,
if he is not like that inestimable gem, Blakely, prema-
turely called to the regions above, was at that time on
station off Mobile point; and with his co-operation, I as-
certained that the battery commanded the channel at
about half cannon shot.

Having discharged the duties required of me in the
quarter of Mobile, and placed Colonel Constant,* of
the 3d regiment, in command; I sailed for New Or-
leans, where I arrived the nineteenth of May, and
found orders from the war department, commanding
me to repair to the northward; the sequel of which will
be detailed in the third volume of these memoirs. But
before I leave Louisiana, the land of my choice, and the
country in which, with the will of God, I shall pass my
remaining days, I must be permitted to present a rapid
view of certain occurrences, which took place there during
my command in 1812-13; and to glance at the important
incidents which ensued my absence; that I may warn a
people most dear to me, of the perils they have escaped
and the causes which produced them. I owe it indispen-
sably to the community whose destinies [ am doomed to
share, to place the past before them, and instruct them
how to provide for the future.

• This gentleman possessed too much pride and spirit to brook
an indignity, and being superceded in his rank by President Madi-
son, he threw iip his commission,

tir-

53* MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. New Orleans from its gewgraphical position is ccr-
^^^ tainly tlie most siiccourlcss point of the union; an ; it is
Impor- rendered the most important within the national limits,
tanceof by the exclusive controul of the trade of the Mississippi.
ofVew I<^ is therefore the most interesting spot for an enemy of
Oiieans to the United States to seize upon. The commerce of the
ern states. Mlanlic states mazj be incommQdcd by the occlusion of ft sea
port, but the trade of the whole western country is dest7'oyed
by the loss of JS'ew Orleans; the Mississippi being to the
western states and territories, what all the sea ports from
Georgia to Maine, inclusive, are to the Mlantic states. Yet
notwithstanding these obvious facts v^ere placed before
President Madison, in the most .perspicuous manner, as
early as the month of March, 1812, having made up his
mind to opjxisite conclusions, he resisted the truth with
that pertinacity which forms a prominent trait of his cha-
racter; hence, my premonitions were treated as the chi-
meras of an officer solicitous only to swell his command;
and a whole year after these warnings, he continued to
hug himself in the conceit of liis superior sagacity,* rest-
ing on the ignorance and negligence of the enemy for his
justification; and hence every precaution of defence was
not only neglected, but works actually occupied were aban-
doned— on the Perdido, Mobile point, the English Turn,
and the Balize — and by a peremptory interdiction of Pre-
sident Madison, through his war minister, the defensive
measures I had taken were in effect condemned, and the
completion of the works designed by me were prohibited;
and whilst General Jacksi)n was hunting the Creeks, and
carrying his arms against the wretched Spaniards at Pcn-

* In a letter received from that eminent physician and excellent
maHj the deceased Doctor Daniel, dated Washington City, March
10th, 1813,. I have a rich exposition of the intrigues and corruption of
the metropolis at that day, from which I extract the following para-
graph : " J^In conversation -wilh the President was vcnj general, the only
part of it that could be coJisidcred as having co7inexion with yourself, was
the decided manner in which he gave his reasons for believing there was no
danger of an invasior^ of JVew Orleans. On (his p^iiit I thought he r?*-
peared considerably in earnc?!."

i

GFNERATi WILKINSON. 5ft5

sacola, New Orleans was left to defend itself, until tiie chap.
enemy were found at the portal. Then, indeed, when tlie '^"•
safety of the emporium of the west, and millions of indi- "^^"^'"^^
vidual property were committed to the caprice of for-
tune, the little ([gentleman, as Genei-al Armstron.q desig-
nated him, trembled for his blind obstinacy, and was
heard to observe at one of his levees, *' It was to be re-
gretted General Wilkinson'' s plans had not been adopted."
When, however, the place had been saved by the inter-
p 'Sition of Heaven, and the gallantry of a handful of
men, headed by an intrepid leader; overwhelmed as he
ought to have been, witli the consciousness of iiaving ne-
glected every measure necessary to its safetvj and even
of having left General Jackson WITHOUT MEN AND
WITHOUT ARMS,* three months after he was wained
of the designs of the enemy; and six months after the
General had demanded small arms, cannon, and muni-
tions of war for New Orleans.f 0 matchless modesty ' ' •

• GeneralJackson, in his letter Denembor 29th, 1814, informs Co-
lonel Monroe, secretary of war, that his eftective strtng'th did not
exceed 3000, and th;it the Kcmuckians had not arrived. Again,
January 9th, 1815: "I received little additional strength from the
Kentuckians, but few of tliat detachment being armed." General
Adair to General Jackson, March 20tli, 1815: ♦' Four hundred Ken-
tuckians were ordered to join General Morgan on the west side of the
river, but only 200 could piorurc arms."

GeneralJackson to General Adair, April 2d, 1815: "The whole
force employed on the line opposed to Gineral Fackcnham, was 3,690
men; the Kentuckians on that day were 550, and on the 12th of April
only 959." K.'}iiiic. Pallad. JMmj 8th, 1815.

General Jackson to Mr. Monroe, secretary of war, New Orleans,
Dec. 16tli, 1814: "We have no arms here. WiU the government
order a supply ? If it will, let it be speedily. Without arms, a defence
cannot be made.'' Latour, p. 66.

f " During the summer, while yet among the Creeks, General Jack-
son had made a requisition of a quantity of arms, ammunition, heavy-
cannon, balls, bombs, &,c. to be sent to New Orleans; but such was
the fatality that appeared attaciied to all the measures adopted for our
defence, that it was not till the miudle of January, 1815, that a vcrv
small proportion of what had been ordered arrived at New Orleans."
Latouv, p. 66.

526 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. President Madison was eaerer to share the laurels with
^^^,,^1^^ its brave defenders, and to vote himself a triumph, when
in truth he had merited the * * *

It has been seen in the instructions with which I left
the seat of government, that no a<lditionaI regular force
was assigned me; that permanent tortifications were dis-
couragedj that under peculiar circumstances, I was ad-
vised to seek orders for my conduct at the seat of govern-
ment, and with a discretion thus circumscribed, I was not
allowed even to call out the tei-ritorial militia, unless
*< threatened with an immediate attack by a large arma-
ment" The destitute condition of tlie district is dis-
tinctly marked in the minutes of the council of war,
and the measures I determined to adopt are best ex-
wilkinson plained by facts. Fort St. Philip had been repaired and
works for endowed with a numerous train of 24' pounders, how-
the tie- itzers, &c.; the foundation of a work was in forvCai'dness
New Or- at the Balize, on which three 2i pounders were actually
leans. j,^ batter^, three otliers were ready to be placed, and it
was intended to add a 13 inch mortar to annoy the
passage of the bar — ground had been examined and clear-
ed off for a battery, to co-operate with St. Philip from
the opposite side of the river — a strong work had been
projected at the English Turn, to command the river,
and sustain a siege, and was more than half finished — a
work had been laid out at the Petite Coquille, where nine
heavy guns had been placed on temporary platforms, and
it would have been completed in two months — the foun-
dation of a co-operating battery had been commenced on
the opposite marsh^ — the ground had been measured and
cleared off at Chef Menteur, for a fortification to prevent
a landing at tliat point, or a passage into Lake Pont-
chartrain by that communication — the battery had been
established at Mobile point, and the works* were pro-

* A part of my plan at tliis place received no attention after I left
the country. It was to occupy a sand hill a few hundred yards in rear
of the water battery, which overlooked and commanded the point in
every direction, and from the nature of the soil cannot be approached.

GENERAL AVILKINSON. 5^7

grossing rapidly — measures were in preparation for the chap.
obstruction of tlie south-west pass of the Mississippi, and ^"•
every avenue of approach from tlie ocean j and the block-
ship was in forwardness, which alone, with an American
crow and commander, would have been competent to de-
fend Lakes Borgne and Pontchartrain, against any force
the enemy could have sent against her in those shoal
waters ; and by this single provision, the left flank and
rear of the city would have been protected. Five hun-
dred thousand dollars more would have completed these
defences, with two additional block-ships and fifteen gun
vessels, which with a comparatively inconsiderable land
force, would iiave placed the country in security against
the utmost efforts of the enemy. In this state of things,
I was suddenly recalled from the command, and simul-
taneous with this mandate, an order issued from the war
department, under the authority of President Madison,
limiting the whole expenses of the quarter-master's de-
partment, including the ordnance and fortifications, \o
5S5,000 per month; and the drafts of the deputy quarter-
master general for previous services, were protested, and
justice shamefully withheld from the inhabitants, on the
plea that the ilisbm'sementswereiinauihorised; notwithstand-
ing the letter of the secretary of war to nie, dated tlie 20th
June, 1812; and thus President Madison commanded with
one hand, and countermanded with the other. The neces- Works
sary consequence was, that the unfinished works were in- ^["i ^^^^
stantly abandoned, and suffci-ed to tumble to pieces; those doned.on
at Mobile point, at the Perdido and the Balize, being de- J^^,7ru"r-"^
serted, and the guns actually removed, but the former ""aster
was ri"p<)ssrsspd by order of GeneralJackson, on the ear- bmriiing
nest Appliiaiion ol llie inhabitants; and to cap the climax proicsted.
of folly, the workmen were dismissed from the block-ship
al'tei' she had been caulked up lo the bends, and the ma-
terials were on the spot to liuish her, where it is a fair
presumption tlu7 would be suffered to rot, together with

nor is it in reach ot'sliippinjj. To secure tlie water battery this point
must be occcpied. 1 had also projcc'.ed a co operating- battery oa
Dauphin island.

528 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, the vessel, did it depend on President Madison, for want
-^'^ of tlie necessary attention to her preservation. For
100,000 stand of small arms have been destroyed in the
last twenty years, in defect of the re|2;ulations of the ord-
nance department, and the expense of a few armourers,
and a little oil. We began the late war with 200,000
muskets, but how many did we bring out of it. The in-
quiry would repay Congress their trouble, if it could bo
candidly and honestly conducted; but of this 1 despair,
under our present masters.
Conductof Without questioning President Madison's loyalty, I
Macirson^ confess I am at a loss for the evidence of his sacrifices to
particu- the cause of his country, and those who know him better
respected t''^" ^ ^^» make no doubt that in all conflicting interests
New Or- |ie would prefer his personal gratifications to the public
weal. But how sliall we account for his persevering ne-
glect of New Orleans, even to the last hour of the war?
I appeal to candid, independent, honest men of all par-
ties, to decide whether a partisan of the enemy could have
done more to betray JYew Orleans into his hands, than by
withholding men and arms from its protection, and by
prohibiting every work of defence, and even abandoning
some important positions which had been taken by me?

As early as the middle of Ss ptember, 181*, a concur-
rence of reports from the West Indies, Pensacola, Mo-
bile, and by other channels, conspiring with the move-
ments of the enemy from Baltimore, left no doubts
in the mind of any person who reliected on the sub-
ject, that they had at length determined to invade the
Mississippi, which they had so long and so unaccounta-
bly neglected. My own opinions on this subject had
never varied, and my solicitude for Louisiana had never
slept. At that period President Madison, and his confi-
dential coadjutor. General Armstrong, forgetting right
and consulting vengeancCi had degraded me from my
rank, and done all in their power, by secret calumnies
and congressional intrigues,* to stab my character; yet

* See the report of the secretary of war, explaining the causes of
the failure of the arms of the United States on the northern frontier,^

GENEttAL AVIIJCINSON. ^^gjj

uiy love of country was not diminished by poi-sccution. cii\i*
AftiT the political demise of Armslnrng, I addressed iiis ^"
encrj^ctic successor, who was laboiM-ing to recover the, ""^"'^'^^^
high way of popularity, out of whii h Armstrong had
joslled him, in the h(tpe of attracting the presidential at-
tention to the defence of New Orleans, by the earnestness
of the following letter.

• « Hager*s town, Oct. 5th, 1814.
« Sir,

« The apprehension which I feel, that the enemy will wilkin.
take possession of New Orleans, makes it proper for mc f^" !*/'^^*
to state to you, tliat when ordered from the command in spectin^
that quarter, I was obliged to leave my official P«pe>'3 {^.f^f^^''"
beliind me; comprehending my military correspondence ^'ew Or-
from the year 1791 to 1812, witlj manuscript charts and '"'^"^
plans of our posts and occupancies, critical points and
passes, from Fort Niagara by Black Rock, Buffaloe,
Presq' Isle, Sandusky, Fort Miami, Detroit, St. Clair
river, Michilimackinac and Chicago, including St. Jo-
seph and the Saut de St. Marie — from Chicago to the
Riviere Plein, then down the Illinois and Mississippi
rivers to St. Louis — our former military routes and po-
sitions north-west of the Ohio — the same of the Tennes-
see river, from S. W. point down to its mouth — a survey
of the route from tlie district of Natchez to Bear creek
—our posts and occupancies on the Arkansaw and Red
rivers, and a survey of the route from the latter to the
Spanish post of Nacogdoches — our former and present
posts from the Kaskaskias down the Mississippi to tiie
Balize — the posts at tiie Bayou St. John in rear of New
Orleans, and at the efflux of Lake Pontchartrain, called
the Rigolets — the inland navigation to Mobile bay — the
work at Mobile point, and also Fort Charlotte in the
town of Mobile, and from thence to the confluence of
the Alabama and Tombigbee river — up the first to the
village of Tookabatchee, and up the second to the site of

presented to the House of Representatives by President Madison, Jan.
31st, 1814.

vol.. L 3 X

&30 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. Fort Confederation, erected by t!ie Spaniards ;— and
^"- among other documents, a memoir describing every di-
rect and devious approach to the city of New Orleans,
and every feeble and strong point of defence from within
and without.

*' I have recently written to three gentlemen in New Or-
leans, to have those papers removed to a place of securi-
ty ; but as this is a precarious reliance, and I consider it
a matter of importance, to save those papers and docu-
ments from the hands of the enemy ; I am induced to re-
quest an order from you, to the commanding oflScer at
New Orleans, to receive my directions for their trans-
mittal to Pittsburgh, in charge of an officer of trusty
either by a public barge or by the steam boat if in ope-
ration.

« I had prepared charges against your predecessor
for manifold usurpations and abuses while in office,
which his dishonest retreat I fear has baffled ; subse-
quent to which and anterior to your appointment to the
department, the painful situation in which I find my-
self, and my solicitude to be unshackled, that I might
take my share of the perils of my profession, led me to
address the President on the subject.* Will you be so
good as to tell me what I have to expect in the result of
my application ; the lash of persecution has taught me
patience in adversity, yet it is natural and I hope reason-
able, that I should desire to be relieved from the tortures
of suspense.

« "With perfect respect,

« I have the honour to be. Sir,
** Your obedient servant,

«JA. WILKINSON.
" The Hon. James Monroe,

Secretary of War.**

This letter I delivered this letter to a gentleman of Congress, a
wkhmark- common friend, who I know put it into the hands of Co-
ednegiect. lonel Monroe, and what was the effect, silent contempt as

• See Appendix, No. VIJ.

GENEttAL WILKINSON.

531

it respected my humljlc self, arwl a slumbering neglect aB CHAP,
it respected the most impoitant interests of the western ^"
cnimdy ; the sapient President wrapped in security, saw
thousands and tens of thousands of men, rushing into New
Orleans for its defence in the month of November;* and
with this overwhelming force General Jackson was to re-
pel the rash invader. But General Jackson's corrcspoii- General
dence with the secretary of war proves, that on the 29tli fon!e''Tnd
December, eighteen days after tlic enemy had appeared loss by
at Ship Island, fourteen days after the capture of our conaf^'ed.
ilotilla, and seven days after they had taken ground with-
in two leagues of New Orleans, his efTcctive strength
amounted to barely ,3000, and that tiie patriotic Kcntuc-
kians had not arrived on that day ; and it appears from
the same authentic source, that arms could not be foimd
for those citizen soldiers after they did arrive; and al-
though General Jackson's force, as well as his loss by
disease, has been carefully kept out of sight, yet, from a
comparison of facts, it may be presumed his greatest
numbers, armed and unarmed, did not at any time ex-
ceed 5000 men ; with respect to arms, although a de- '
pot was in readiness at Pittsbui'gh, almost four months
after the meditated attack on New Orleans was ap-
prehended, we find them passing tlie Falls of Ohio Arms pass
(Louisville, Kentucky) the Gth January,! 1S15, four- (Kiy^the/^
teen days after General Jackson's first combat, and two ^^^ Jan.

181*>

days only before the final defeat, of the enemy; and if
I am not misinformed, they were sent off, without the
knowledge of the secretary of war, by the agent Mr,
Woolly.

Yet the capital of Louisiana was saved, and the blaze
of glory exiited by its defence, merged all inquiry into
causes and effects, into measures and conduct; this
precisely suited the policy of the cabinet, whose agency
in the transactions which led to the glorious event, would
not bear examination ; yet it is necessary the American
people should be informed, of the true state of circum-

• It was confiJcnlly reported at Wasliiiig-ton, that General Jackson
was in New Orleans with 20,000 men, before he reached that city
•j- See Nile'.s Register, 1S15. page S7P

5^^ MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, stances and occurrences; because Generals Jackson and
"^"" Coffee and Carroll and Adair and Morgan, with the band
Motives ^'^ i)atriots and heroes who executed their orders, may,
forrecord- before anotlicr war, leaving their well earned fame be-
of evems ^^'"^^ tliem, visit that «< bourn from which no traveller re-
on the turns;" and it is to benefit posterity and infoim future

2^1 tssissio*

pi, historians, that I shall in this place record the following

facts and incidents, as they have been presented to me or
have fallen under my observation.
State of It has been seen, that the fortifications of St. Philip on
fonifica- ^,,p j^f^ j^^ , ^c jiip jviississippi, of the Petite Coquille at
found by the efflux of Lake Pontchartrain, and Fort Bowyer at Mo-
Jac'ksoi! *^''^ point, were found by Gen. Jackson as 1 left them, with
exception to the last place, the guns of which had, been
withdrawn, I presume, by order of President Madison, and
Effects of were restored by the General. The gallant defence of
ofVort"^ that post and the discomfiture of the light squadron under
Bowyer. Captain Percy, with the loss of the Hermes sloop of war,
had damped the confidence of the British officers in their
floating batteries, when opposed to those which are sta-
tionary, at too great a distance for the effect of grape and
cannister sliot. But preliminary to the operations of the
army, it was necessary to capture or destroy five gun
boats, stationed at the bay of St. Louis, which composed
the whole flotilla, ordered by President Madison for thft
defence of the Lakes Borgnc and Pontchartrain, notwith-
standing the requisition contained in my memoir of the
28th March, 1812, which w'as afterwards urgently repeat-
Theene- ed. This small squadron was commanded by Lieutenant
proadi' Thomas Ap Catesby Jones, an officer who is destined,
discover- should his life be spared, to fill the highest stations of his
profession, and do honour to his name and country. His
look-out vessels discovered the approach of the enemy's
fleet on t!ie 9t!i December, and from his station he could,
by a short traverse, readily reconnoitre its anchorage under
Tliclr an- Ship Island. He watched its movement and perceived its
Shr/isl^*^ augmentation ; and on tlie morning of the 13th, discovered
and, and a Considerable number of boats approaching the pass of
ment' Christiana, wiili intention as he believed to debark, but

GENERAL WILKINSON. 533

he soon perceived from their direction through the pass, chap.
that his squadron was their object; he therefi»rr got under ^"
\veigh as soon as wind and water would permit, (it being ^,
flood tide and some of his boats aground, from an extra- mf^nt of
ordinary run of the preceding ebb,) with intention to take rican flo'
a more defensible position, within the llignlcts, or at the ^"' ' ""<ler
Malheureuses Islands should it be judged ad\isable; in jones.
the mean time the enemy's attention was attracted by the
Sea Horse, an armed transport, which had been sent into
the bay of St. Louis ; the vessel was well defended, but
the crew being overpowered by numbers, was blown up;
a baffling breeze, favoured by the tide, had pushed Lieu-
tenant Jones and his squadron forward to les Isles Mal-
heureuses (the Unfortunate Islands) an irregular range
of small islands of brush wood and marsh extending
westward, and lying twelve or fifteen miles east of the
Rigolets; here the wind failing, and the tide opposing
him, he was obliged to come to anchor about 1 o'clock,
A. M. At dawn the next morning the enemy's boats lay
at anchor about nine miles from him, but soon got under
way nearing him with their oars. The weather being
perfectly calm, and a strong tide ahead, he knew he must
be soon brought to action, and therefore calling his offi-
cers on board, signified his intention to make the most
determined defence possible. He then proceeded to Compara-
make the best disposition of his force, by forming a close sirrne-th
line abreast, across the channel, anchored by the stern of *he two
with springs on his cables ; before 9 o'clock, he could mentst
distinctly count forty-two gun barges and launches, many
of them mounting heavy caronades, and attended by three
gigs, manned, as is believed, with an average of twenty
men per boat; whilst the American flotilla, mounted only
thirteen heavy and ten light gtnis, and was manned with
one hundred and eighty-two men only. About half past
nine, the enemy captured a small tender belonging to the
American flotilla, which had fallen to leeward in tiie night
and could not get up ; and the w hole then came too with
their grapnels beyond the reach of Lieutenant Jones's
cannon ; here they formed an opon line abreast, and at

53* MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, half past ten moved forward to the attack, steering
^"" directly for the American line.
Heroic re- How awfuI was this moment of suspense, when every
solntion of man at his station anticipated the hloody scene, and anx-
Jones. ioiisly expected the signal to engage ; and how unequal
the conflict, of eight boats and 140 men, against one
small vessel w ith 36 men, for this was the proportion ;
without a hope of victory. Lieutenant Jones joined the
combat, to support the character of his country, and sus-
tain the honour of her flag. It was a manly, generous
resolution, in which he was gallantly seconded by his of-
ficers and crews. Gun boats 156 and 162 commanded by
Lieutenant Jones and Lieutenant Spedden, were drifted
by the force of the current, about one hundred yards in
advance of the line, and as soon as the enemy came with-
in the range of round shot, their batteries were opened,
but with little cfTect ; at 10 minutes before 11 o'clock, the
enemy opened his fire of cannon and small arms, the
wlude extent of his line, and then tlie action became
warm, general and destructive j at 45 minutes after 11
o'clock, three launches attempted to board Lieutenant
Jones, but were repulsed, having every officer and near-
ly every man killed or wounded, and two boats sunk; tho
attempt to board was soon repeated by four other launch-
es, who were also repulsed with great slaughter; at this
moment Lieutenant Jones received a severe wound in his
left shoulder, which compelled him to leave the deck; the
other gun vessels were engaged with equal desperation,
but 156 being the commodore, the enemy's greatest efforts
were directed against her. After Lieutenant Jones was
wounded, the command devolved on his master's mate,
Parker, who defended the vessel with great gallantry,
until he was also severely wounded ; but by repeated at-
tacks of superior numbers, the enemy gained the deck,
after a close action of one hour and twenty minutes ; the
battle still raged, and the enemy turned the guns of 156
on the other vessels, and in their confusion, several shot
were fired before the Unitsd States flag w as struck ; a
dominant force finally prevailed, and Lieutenant M<K-ee-

GENERAL WILKINSON.

63ft

ver, at *0 minutes alter 12 o'clock, struck his colours.
The, enemy acknowicdj^ed three midsliipmen and 19 men
killed, six olficers, 3 master's mates, seven midshipmen
and sixty-one men wounded ; and Lieutenant Jones had
six men killed, and eight officers, with twenty-seven men
wounded, of whom nearly one-half was from his own
vessel, as will appear from the following returns,* re-

CHAP.
XII.

List of killed and wounded on board a division of Urdted States gun
vessels, under the command of Lieutenant-commandant Thomas Ap
Catenby Jones, in an engagement -with a flotilla of English boats, near
the Malheureuses Islands, oiithe 14//* December, 1814.

Names or Numbers

-3

Rank.

-6

•c

Remarks.

of vessels.

<u

5
o

rt

''2

S?

O

Gun vessel. No. 5.

Seaman

1

1

Gun vessel, No. 23.

Lieutenant

1

Midshipmen

2

One (Jas. Reynolds)

Quarter-gunner

since dead.

Carpenter's mate

Since dead.

Seaman

Ordinary seamen

—

—

8

Gun vessel, No- 156.

Lieutenant
Master's mate
Cook
Seamen
Ordmary seamen

4

Hoys

1

Corporal of marines

Pi'ivate marines

3

—

—

18

Gun vessel, No. 162.

Lieutenant

Midshipman

Quarter-master

Quarter-gunner

Seaman

Ordinary seamen

7

Gun vessel, No. 163.

Master's mate

Purser's steward

Seaman

Ordinaiy seamen

1

_

3

7

rotal

6

35

41

THOMAS AP CATESBY JONES.

Commandimr the Division-

536 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, corded in honour of the action, which although not gilded
with success, for conduct, courage and consequences, gave
Lieutenant Jones a fair claim to distinc|;^on from his
country.
Enemy Appalled by the fate of Captain Percy's expedition

dei^ermine ^gj^jpsj jyiobiie point, and learning at Pensacola that the
prouch Petite Coqsiille was fortified, and the pass defended by gun
leans by Vessels, the British commanders being advised at the same
the Bayou place, that the Bayou Bien-venu or Pescheurs, at the head
' of Lake Borgne, furnished a convenient approach to New
Orleans, determined to make their descent by that creek;*
which was well known as the high way for smugglers
from Pensacola to New Orleans, at the time the British
and Spanish governments held those places. But after
the capture of the gim-vessels, the British officers ex-
pressed their determination to Lieutenant Jones, to at-
tack Petite Coquille, and were very particular in their
inquiries of him, respecting the strength of the place ; he
reported a garrison of 500 men, and forty pieces of ar-
tillery, which, if they were in earnest, probably deterred
them from the undertaking. Be this as it may, the Bayou
Bien-venu was reconnoitred on the 22d, and a debarka-
tion of 2000 men under Major-general Keene, was effect-
ed on the morning of the 23d, at the bottom of General
Villere's plantation, about two leagues from the city.

To this direction of the invaders, and their halt after
they had reached the bank of the Mississippi, may, under
God, be ascribed the salvation of New Orleans, and Gene-
ral Jackson's merited fame. By this approach, the enemy
placed the American army in their front, leaving its rear
open to every species of resource, and its flanks perfectly
secured by the river and cypress swamps; a situation
the most desirable to a military chief, because it enables
him to condense his force, and disembarrass his mind of
every care and every concern, but that of marshalling
his men and preparing for battle. Yet as the enemy had,

* See Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane's letter to Mr. Croker/
dated Armide, off He au Chat, Dec. 16, 1814.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 537

unpRrrcived, got within two hour's marcli of the city, if CHAP.
tlicy had pioceeded directly forward, the advantages of ^"•
General Jackson's position, which afterwards became all
important, could not have availed him; because the ene-
niy would have carried suqirisc w ith them, would have
found the American corps dispersed,* without concert,
and unprepared for combat; and making the attack with
a superior! "imierical force of disciplined troops, against
a body composed chiefly of irregulars; under such cir-
cumstances, no soldier of experience will pause for a
conclusion. The most Iieroic bravery would have proved
unavailing, and the capital of Louisiana, with its millions
of property, would have been lost. But blinded by confi-
dence, beguiled by calculations injurious to the honour of
the high-mettled patriot sons of Louisiana, and consider-
ing the game safe, they gave themselves up to security,
took repose, and waited for reinforc ements.

In the mean time General Jackson found himself re- General
du( ed to the dilemma, of falling back and abandoning the ,.gso7v«
city, waiting for the enemy in his position, or of advan- to advance
cing and attacking him. He had been surprised, and he \^^^ ^^^
justly anticipated that success only could protect the city my.
and save his military reputation. By fighting he could
but lose his life, and he might save all. Thus circum-
stanced, he had nothing but profit in view, and therefore
the risk was a fair one. General Jackson did not hesi-
tate; his res()luM(m was taken, and his plan and the ex-
ecution of it, would have done honour to the most expCr
rienred soldier of Europe.

The alarm of the enemy's proximity reached New Or-
leans after mid-day ; tlieir number uncertain ; but about
2 o'clock, they were reported to be sixteen or eighteen
hundred strong; and at lialf after two a detachment of
about 550 men, composed of the 7th infantry, a party of
marines, and twenty-two artillery men, witii two field-

* See Latour, pape 89.

f Se^ General Jacksor's letter to Secretary of war, Dec. 29th, 18^4.
His wJiolr force at tl)»ttime did not exceed 3000 eftectivcs.
V61i. I. S Y

038 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, pieces, formed a line about a mile in advance of the city;
"^'^ the Tcnnesseans, encamped four miles in the rear, with
Plauche's battalion, from the Bayou St. John's, and the
free corps of the city were embodied, and the order of
march and of battle arranged about 5 o'clock, P.M.; the
navy, under Commodore Patterson, with characteristic
ardour pressed for their share of the danger. General
Jackson had previously infused his own spirit into this
variegated corps ; he had inspired them with entire con-
fidence, and they waited his orders with assurance of vic-
tory. Darkness would mask his movement, and favour
a surprise ; it would also conceal his numbers, and mar
the effects of the enemy's superior discipline : a night at-
tack was therefore adopted, and considering the compo-
sition of his corps, it succeeded to admiration. The SoutU
Carolina, an armed schooner commanded by Commodore
Patterson in person, was destined to co-operate with the
troops, and she took her station with judgment and pre-
cision; but there seems to have been some failure of con-
cert, occasioned probably by the unequal motion of the
current and the column; the attack of the floating bat-
tery and the marching troops was not exactly simulta-
neous ; but the surprise was complete. The schooner
came to about 7 o'clock, and was discovered by the ene-
my and hailed several times, before she opened her fire
(at half past 7 o'clock), which taking the enemy precise-
ly in flank, enfiladed liis encampment, and made havoc
and confusion. The impression was most auspicious; and
the alarm and distraction of the enemy were increased,
when the fire of General Jackson's artillery and infantry
commencing on the right and extending to the left, as the
troops got to their stations, until the hardy sons of Ten-
nessee, and tlie gallant rifle company of Capt. Beall,* led

•b

* Rifles are good for little in the dark, because their effect depends
on iiccvirate vision and a distinct object, which, being- destroyed, the
excellence of the aim is impaired. The musket and bayonet, with
buck-shot, is preferable, because in nocturnal affairs nothing decisive
can take place but at close quarters.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 539

on by the dauntless CoflTec, illumined the darkened plain chap.
with a sheet of flame, on the right flank and rear of their '^^
adversaries. Thus galled and harrassed, the enemy gave ^"^^'^^^
the strongest test of their discipline and valour, by not
abandoning the field ; and if General Jackson's troops
had been formed in line, to embrace the front of the ene-
my, and could have been led to the charge, in the mo-
ment the Carolina opened her battery, he might have
dispersed the enemy, and gained a complete victory;
but this is a supposabie case, scarcely practicable to ir-
regular troops, under the cover of night, which produces
disorder and favours cowardice.*

If it be difiicult to convey to the human mind, any ade-
quate description of contending battalions on a field of
battle, in the glare of day, surely it is impossible to ren-
der justice to such scenes, under the obscurity of night.
This combat may therefore be best described in a few
words : it was a conflict of corps — a battle in pieces —
where the friend was with difficulty distinguished from
the foe, and ranks were intermingled pell-mell; and let
it be recorded to the immortal honour of the American
corps on this occasion, without derogating in the least
from the glory of the chief, who planned and led the at-
tack, that patriot zeal and personal courage supplied the
defects of discipline, conduct and command.

The human mind is liable to extremes, which, depend-
ing on the passions, are uncontrollable by reason. This
infirmity was strongly exemplified in the effects of the
aff'air of tlie 23d Dec. ; the confidence and security of the
enemy, being suddenly changed into cautious apprehen-
sion and defensive preparations; whilst the American
citizen rivalling the soldier, formed a Just estimate of his
own force, and by the example of his leader, was taught
to spurn danger and contemn death. Whatever followed

* On this occasion two cowards only I understand were detected;
one of them has been long distinguished; but their infirmities were
shrouded in the transcendant glory of the corps, and the sympathy of
President Madison was awakened— he retained them to grace his
PKACE ESTABLISHMENT.

4

540 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, in this memorfible campaign was, on the part of the Ame
'■ ricans, the effect of obvious cirrumstances; the chief ju-
diciously selected the narrowest part of tlie plain, for the
erection of his defences ; and if they could boast neither
desie^n in the plan, nor skill in the execution, it was not
his fault; the exigency was pressing, and the govern-
ment had left him without an engineer, as well as with-
out arms ; but that Alniidity Power, which watched over
the destinies of Louisiana, favoured his exertions, and
sent floods and frosts to co-operate with his labours. On
the part of the enemy, apprehension, ignorance and ob-
stinacy, appear alternately to have obscured his under-
standing and beguiled his judgment ; the ground between
Villerc's plantation and New Orleans is an open plain,
intersected with plantations, ami the ordinary obstruc-
tions ; the affair of the 23d terminated at half after nine
oVIock,* about which hour the enemy received a rein-
forcement of 2,900 fresh men. Now supposing 400 men
liad been put «< hors de combaf by the action, he still had
a column left for duty, the morning of the 2ith, of 4,500
men,f exceeding General Jackson's effective force 1,500;
and if he had advanced on that or the following day, he
would have brought the American army to action, or
forced it to give up the town ; and in open space, with
such a disparity of force, moral and physical, he should
have commanded victory, and must have prevailed. For-
tunately, however, the enemy determined to continue on.
the defensive, and wait for reinforcements. He accord-
ingly preserved his position tmtil the 27tii, when he moved
forward and took ground about a mile in advance, where,
h^. with the exception of a feint and a reconnoissance, some

^1^ affairs of pickets and heavy cannonades, he remained

until the 8th of January; allowing General Jackson time
to receive reinforcements, and complete a strong line of
defence, with a deep wet ditch from the river to the Cy-
press swamp, whici) he had lined with batteries. On tins
memorable day. Sir Edward Packenham, disdaining to

* Latour, p. 100. f Latour, p. 104

GENERAL WILKINSON. 541

avail himself of local circumstances or to profit by profcs- chap.
sioiial skill, determined to carry New Orleans at the ^"
point of the bayonet in the face of day, exposing himself
to showers of cannister from 18 pounders, ''^ and triple
ranks of infantry and riflemen. It was the scene of Ti-
conderoga acted over again. He was slaughtered and
repulsed; and as the whole operations were confined, to
the perpendicular march of columns against a straight
line, defended by stationary batteries and battalions, the
subject requires no further elucidation; except that the
passive resolution of the American citizen, vanquished
the active courage of the British veteran. The transi-
tion from blind confidence to timid irresolution was in-
stantaneous— panic succeeded defeat — and a veteran army
of three-fold numbers precipitately retreated before Ge-
neral Jackson's undisciplined force, leaviYig their batter-
ing artillery behind them.f

• The battery of Lieutenant Spots rendered the most signal service
on that day. This promising young officer was opposed to the centre
of the enemy's right column, against which he discharged 18 pound
cannister with dreadful eflect.

f Whilst I record the misfortunes of an enem)', 1 take pleasure in
rescuing the memory of the man, from that unmerited reproach to
which the hostile feelings of the moment, and the ignorance of his
personal character, had exposed it; and for this purpose I insert the
following account of Major-general the Hon. Sir Edward Packenham,
received from an officer who served with him on several occasions^
and who knew him from the time he was a major of the 2od light dra-
goons, to the day of his embarkation for this country. " This unfor-
tunate but gallant officer, was the son qf the late, and brother of the
present, Earl of Longford, and brother-in-law of the Duke of Welhng-
ton, who married his sister. In the war with France which succeeded
the short peace, whilst leading the 64th regiment of foot, of which he
was lieutenant-colonel, to the successful assault of the fortress of
JMome FortunSe, in the island of St. Lucia, he was badly wounded, a
musket ball passing through his neck; and on the expedition which
afterwards subjected the island of Martinique to the British arms, he
was again badly wounded in the same part, whilst storming the bat-
teries of Isle lies Ramiers, in Fort lloyal b.iy, at the head of the 7lh
regiment of fusileers. During the war in the peninsula, he distin-
guished himself on various occasions, but particularly at the battle of
Salamaucn, or I,os Arnpil^s^ whprft he commanded a division: he wa**

542 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. Inscrutable are the ways of Providence! but manliest
^"- and manifold bis divine interposition in favour of the
people of these states.

Pending the momentous scenes in the vicinity of New
Orleans, which filled every bosom with solicitude ; the
zeal and patriotism displayed by all ranks in Louisiana,
from the ill fated Helot to the most distinguished charac-
ters, has rarely been equalled in modern times, and would
have reflected honour on ancient Rome, in her most vir-
tuous days. The fearful feeble sex, which constitute
man's chief liappiness and care, merging the tenderest
affections of the soul, in the enthusiastic love of country,
were beheld inciting the dearest relations of life to deeds
of arms, and animating the zeal of the zealous. From
the earliest warning of the enemy's approach, Governor
Claiborne displayed that integrity of attachment to his
country, for which he is not excelled, by precepts, exam-
ple and exertions the most praiseworthy ; and as the
storm increased, he sacrificed his self Iov6 to the public
cause, and descended from the dignified station of the
chief magistrate of a sovereign state, to receive the orders
of a subordinate military commander.

This sacrifice was necessary to the concert, harmony
and efiect of the depending operations j but it was not the
less meritorious, because of the necessity ; and the legis-
lature happening to be in session, all the powers of the

afterwards appointed adjutant-general to the allied army, under the
Diike of Wellington, in which station he also greatly signalised him-
self, attracting on all occasions, by his amiable and conciliatory con-
duct, the esteem and regard of his brother officers of every rank. He
was a gentleman of the most pleasing and accomplished manners, and
of exquisite humour; his mind was lofty, liberal, and generous in the
extreme, and charity was the characteristic of his heart. To this last
trait, the widows and orphans of the soldiers of the 7th and 64th re-
giment will bear grateful testimony. Though high in military rank,
he had not reached the prime of life, and at the time of his death,
there was not a more deservedly popular officer in the British ser-
vice." Although it must be a matter of just pride to American sol-
diers, to Iiave defeated such a leader, no nation can furnish heroes
more ready, than Americans, to render justice to the merits of a
fallen foe.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 5^*

state, and the municipal autliorities of the capital, in fine cif AP.
the general, local, and personal property of the country, ^"
with the blood and lives of the citizens were devoted to
the public cause, and placed at the disposal of the gene-
ral ; the deposit was a safe one, and the result warranted
the universal confidence. But amidst this general im-
I)ulse of patriotism, it is deeply to be regretted that mea-
sures should have taken place, which prostrated the sove-
reignty of an integral member of the federal pact; and,
if not marked by some demonstration of public senti-
ment to interdict the repetition, may be recurred to at a
future day, to trample under foot the civil rights of this
nation.

Writing as I am, not with views to fame or popularity,
or patronage, but, merely to rescue my reputation from
the multiplied wrongs which injustice has heaped upon it;
and to impart to my fellow citizens, the results of my ob-
servation, experience and information, during a life spent
in the public service ; I avail myself of the right, of a
free and independent citizen, recently acquired, to dis-
charge a sacred duty to my contemporaries and posteri-
ty ; by calling the public attention to the transactions I
allude to, which have been neglected and passed over in
silence, by the legitimate guardians of the palladium of
our liberties. In great emergencies wliich threaten the
vital interests of the state, and when the ordinary course
of the law is found inadequate to tl»e repression of the
menaced evils, it may become expedient to anticipate the
laws, and defend the public safety, by the agency of ex-
traordinary measures.

But as expediency is a common hack, resorted to by
tyrants and innovators, whereon to found precedents and
ultimately establisii arbitrary laws, the smallest en-
croachment on a constitutional right, should be regarded
with extreme jealousy. If then the constitution has
been grossly and repeatedly violated at New Orleans,
during the campaign 1814 — 15, a substantial injury has
been offered to the whole union ; and altliough it may be
justified by the **law of imperious necessifih*' a xaa>, at

544 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, the mention of which, all freemen should he on the alert!

XII

^^^^.^^^ yet this «* imperious necessity" should be circumstan-
tially and critically proved to have existed ; or it will be-
come in this country, as it has already in many Euro-
pean states, the watchword of men in power, to subvert
the liberties of the people, to defeat the laws, and to
countenance every sanguinary and despotic act. If, how-
ever, upon the investigation of the particular case, the
offence and the justification were both proved to exist, an
act of amnesty sliould have passed the legislature ; to dis-
countenance the violation, and to nip the precedent in the
bud, by shewing the necessity of legislative pardon, how-
ever strong the justification adduced ; for expediency
yesterday, may become precedent to-day, and law to-
morrow. If the rights of a free people are not watched
■with the eyes of Argus, the law of «* imperious necessity^*
will become to the American, what the lex majestatis
proved to the Roman citizens; which, although originally
made for the preservation of the majesty of the Roman
people, yet heing warped by the emperors to their own
use, it became the instrument by which the majesty of
the people was annihilated.

Such a legislative procedure, whilst it shielded the con-
stitution from violence, would have solemnly forbid a re-
petition of the offence, on less justifiable pretences; and
instead of impairing the fame of General Jackson, would
have formed an honourable record of his services ; but
the prr»found silence of the state and general govern-
ment on these transactions, may be interpreted to sanc-
tion the precedent, which ought to have been destroyed,
because dangerous in its tendency. With this view of
the case, I sincerely hope that the ensuing Congress,
may not consider the subject too unimportant for their
attention, and that they may adopt some suitable applica-
tion, to cleanse and cure the wounds inflicted on the con-
stitution, without diminishing the splendour of military
glory drawn from the cannon's mouth.

In reviewing my nli >Ip conduct, fr'>m the moment I
was ordered for command to New Orleans, in March.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 545

1812, until my recal In Jime, 1813, 1 am satisfied with it, cii \P.
and have received the award of an approvin/; cotisf ienrc; -^"
my zeal and my industry are recorded in the bosoms of
tlie good citizens of Louisiana, and tlic works wliich I
founded are durable and speak for themselves. Uut ii
we take a retrospect of the conduct of President Madison
and his counsellors, what may be said? that with \\iirul
blindness and incorrigible obstinacy they withheld every
means, embarrassed every measine, and marred every
proposition for the safety of New Orleans.

I turn from this humiliatinc>; contrast, to a subject
which must excite the abhoi-rencc of every honest man.
An article appeared in a public print* the 2d May, 1815,
designed to affect a judicial ilecision, which interested my
character; the manner and the matter of this production,
proclaim it to be from the pen of a quondam minister of
Mr. Madison's confidence, which gives it a title to re-
spect ; and for this reason, I extract from it, and submit
,to the public the following paragrapli, which if well
founded, would open to the American community, a new^
source of corrupt intrigue and secret persecution, from
which the eye and the mind would revolt with horror;
and against which, neither honour, nor innocence, nor
patriotism, nor public services, could protect the most
faithful officer, under the reign r)f a temporising, timid,
dishonourable and dishonoured chief magistrate.

« JVTl'w Orleans^** says the ^rgus, « was deemed the key
of the south-western country, it was not believed to be safe
in the General- s {JVilkinson" s) keeping, and an order for his
removal was accordingly given, by the highest authority
known to the laws and the constitution; for the correctness
of the statement we appeal to the present secretary of war,
Mr. Crawford, to his quondam colleague, Mr. Tail, to Mr.
Clay of Kentucky, and lastly, to Messrs. Broicn and Fro-
mentin, senators of the United States, from the state of
Louisiana. These gentlemen have too much honour to deny
their agency in producing this order, and too much wisdom

♦ Albany Ar^us.
VOL. I. .1 Z

346 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, to regret its consequences to their section oj the umon.**
^'^' Thus, if faith be placed in this ascription of President
Madison's quondam director, it would appear that a dark
and gfccret cabal at the seat of government, composed of
four senators of the United Siatcs, the Speaker of the
House of Representatives, and President Madison, with
his faithful coadjutor, were plottin.e^ my disgrace, wliile the
citizens of Louisiana and of the Mississippi territ<iry ap-
proved my exertions for their safety, and were rejoicing in
the direction of my plans and labours for their defence;
tliose labours and designs tliat, in spite of the distortions of
jealousy or envy, hatred or malice, laid the foundation on
which Gen. Jackson was enabled to defend New Orleans
and establish his^vell earned fame. I appeal for these facts
to the evidences which have been premised, and to every
hmofiirahle man in Louisiana and tlic Mississippi terri-
tory ; to Forts Bowyer and St. Philip which sj)oke in
thunder, and to the Petite Coquille, whose name alone
•aved the city and Gengral Jackson's army ; nay, were
it necessary, I could establisli tlie efliciency of my plans
and designs, by the sid)sequent measures of Gen. Jackson
himself, who, acting like a soldier, did not reject what
he saw good, and trod in my footsteps; how could it be
otherwise? he, a perfect stranger to the theatre, which I
had b<.'en examining for twenty years ; but whatever may
have been the persoiial animosities, of Mr. Crawford, Mr.
Tait, Mr. Sjjcaker, M«'. Fromentin and Mr. Brown, the
imputation is of too foul a character to be ci'edited. It
seems impossible tiiat men in the most humble, vulgar
walk of life, who had not made villany a regular profes-
sion, should have entered into such a league, against
the character and fortunes of a military officer, who had
served his country with zeal and fidelity, from the dawn
of the revolution; much less can it be believed, that
gentlemen, who could boast a long lineage of distin-
guished ancestry — gentlemen, born, bred and educated,
to occupy and adorn tlie first ranks of society — ^gen-
tlemen of senatorial dignity, whose lofty minds and
high aspirations, would seem to place thcnj above vulgar

GENERAL WILKINSON. 517

prcjmliooH and invidious personalities, could liavc cnteri'd (jfi\!».
info so base and infamous a conspiracy against a lellow ■^"
citizen.

'J'licre arc also several sfronj^ circumstances, wliich
Iiave a tendency to invalidate the lioi-i'ible charge. 1 iiad
been trusted with tlie command of our western frontier
posts, from the Oiiio to New Orleans, during the most
critical exigencies of our public affairs, by General
Washington, President Adams, President Jefferson, and
by President Madison twice, in the face of wai- ; to say
then, that I was recalled because *' J\''eio Orleans was not
deemed safe in my keepings ^ after more than twenty years
experience, of faithful, zealous and successful service,
would be a reproach to these several distinguished cha-
racters, who have occuj)ied the presidential chair, from
the most exalted to the last and the least of them all.
There is another circumstance irresistible in its opposi-
tion to the credibility of this ministerial jiasquinade, and
tliat is an order from the war departn»ent of May 22d,1813,
directing me to continue in the very command ^*%mtil fur-
ther orders," from whicii, according to tlie Argus, I had
been recalled, '« because JVexv Orleans ivas not deemed safe V

Ml my keeping^ But the strongest objection of all, to the
veracity of this unmerited imputation, appears to me to be
the circumstance of my being relieved by Brigadier-gene-
ral Flournoy, a gentleman for wliom 1 cgnceived and che-
rished a high respect, but who, although particularly cjs-
toemcd by Messrs. Crawford and Tait, and in other re-
spects my superior, had just entered his noviciate as a mi-
litary officer, and was a perfect stiangcr to the country, its
topography or resources, and to every species of military
detail. It is repugnant to common reason, to suj)pose
that the country could be safer in the hands of an offi-
cer thus unqualified and uninformed, thai» those of one
who had made the theatre his study for twenty years.

If other motives than those of public duty ptoduced my
rccal, I hope the vindictive spirit of the authors of it,
have been gratified by President Madison ; and leaving
them to the enjoyment of their ti-iumph. I sinceryly

%^

a-iS MEMOIltS BY

ai\i\ hopa tlipy may never experience tlic cruelty and injustice
tliey have ofTcrcd to me.

Duty to a most respectable part of my ancient compa-
nions in arms, obliges nie in this place to correct certain
pi'cjmlices, whicli have sprung out of insidious misrepre-
sentations or selfish policy. After the late peace, those
^^ ho had been opposed to the war, and were un\\illing to
allow President Madison and his administration any
credit for the conduct of it, continued to expose the blun-
ders and misfortunes which marked its commencement
and its progress; whilst the advocates of the war, and the
partisans of the administration, endeavoured to palliate
the improvidence of the declaration, in the unprepared
state of the country, and to excuse the temporising, fee-
ble, fluctuating expedients with which they supported it;
by censuring the conduct of certain officers of their own
creation, and disparaging the merits of the old corps,
which formed the military establishment, anterior to the
declaration of war; not knowing that war is a trade,
the perfection of which is not to be acquired in peace,
although both the French and British armies furnished
abundant testimony to the fact, at the opening of the lato
25 years European war; and forgetting that the corps of
engineers, and the Generals Pike, Covington, Macomb,
Gaines and Scott, with seven out of ten colonels compos-
ing the present peace establishment, were all elevcs of
that school; they should also have reflected, that the
President, with his deputy commander, the secretary of
war, who held the supreme controul of the military, and
it must not be denied, were admirably fitted for the sta*
lion, were responsible for the formation, discipline, and
conduct of those corps ; yet, censure more undeserved was
never levelled at a body of men; for if I may judge from
what I see and hear, and know, the principles of duty
and of service were more correctly understood, and more
uniformly, consistently, and strictly enforced then, than at
any sobsequent period ; and when put to the test, those
corps have never failed to distinguish themselves.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 3^

It is, however, due to truth and to self-justice, that I cHAP.
should ackriowl«*dgc the difficulties and embarrassments, j|^"
I experienced during my command, under President Ma-
disun. If the reins of subordination and discipline were
not as well braced as they oui^^ht to have been at that
ptuiod, it was not my fault, but that of the chief ma*
gistrate and his advisers. In 1312, President Madi-
son could not be prevailed on to exert his prerogative
against an officer under my command, a favourite at
the palace,* notwithstanding the broadest proofs of flagi-
tious conduct were placed before him, on the records of a
military tribunal. But in 1813 — 14, he was wound up
to a ])itch of cruelty and injustice without a parallel,! and
dismissed scores of officers on the mere report of legalized
spies and secret informers.

Whilst on the topic of official abuses, I shall select from
many instances of the violation of the constitution, by
President Madison, one of which it would be a misprision
of treason against my country to conceal ; I was urged by
a minister of Mr. Madison's happy selection, not to
publish this transaction, because it smells of blood, and
I think I replied, your j)resident's salary shall not pre-
vent me. If a President of the United States may^
after delibcratiojif be permitted to sanction murder,
Vk'hat is to prevent his committing it? And if the lives
of the soldiery are placed at his disposal, how long will
those of the citizens be safe ? This is a case too serious
in its nature to be brought before the public on slight
grounds. But it interests the high and the low, the rich

* At a future time this, and a variety of precious intrigues of the
same mansion, shall be exposed to a credulous commimity, as a warn-
ing to female interference in the affairs of government. I will shew
how mjiustcrs were appalled and senators were startled.

\ See the case of Brigadier-general Smylh, an officer of his choice,
whom he condemned wiihoiii a hearing, and by a side wind, the pros
titution of law, dismissed him the service.

See also, the infamous, brutal treatment of Captain Joseph Trtat.
countenanced by his silence. — Appendix, No. V"

XII.

a0O MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, and the poor, the whole people of the United States, that
those who made the constitution under which they live
(who, I most fervently hope, may restore the administra-
tion of it to its native purity, and protect it for^ ages by
their vigilance, and their virtue,) may be warned of the
abuses and excesses of the public servants. My judg-
ment deceives me, and I am badly advised, if the follow-
ing documents will not support the case of the illegal exe-
cution of a soldier, sanctioned by President Madison, after
due deliberation, in the face of the constitution and the
laws.

*« Sir,

♦* Adjutant Sf Inspector General's Office,
Washington, 29th Jan, 1814.

'< I am instructed by the secretary of war, to inform
you, that the proceedings of a court martial held at Green-
bush, by your order of the 21st July, 1813, and before
which were tried Lieutenants Cobb, Blanvelt and Curtis,
are illegal, as you had no authority at that time to in-
stitute general courts martial. 1 am further directed to
say, that you ar« hereby authorised* to order a general
court martial, for the trial of the above named officers,
the proceedings of which must be transmitted to the se-
cretary of war for his decision.

« I have the honour to be,
« Very respectfully, Sir,

*< Your obedient servant,
** J. B. ^yALBACH,
Mjutant General.
<> Colonel Simon Lamed, Greenbush.**

* The authority vesting officers with powers to institute g-eneral
courts martiaJ, is delegated by law in the 65th article of tlie rules
and articles for the government of the armies of the United States,
and is not submitted to the President ; therefore, this authorization
was an usurpation.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 551

CHAP.

*( Cantonment, GreBnbush, 9th Feb, 1814. ^"•

« Sir,

« I had the honour to receive your favour of the 29th
ult. by which I am informed the proceedings of the court
martial ordered by me in July last, are illegal; a doc-
trine new to me ; and as far as I have erred, it has been
in pursuing the practice of my superiors.* While Gene-
ral Chandler was at Burlington, Colonel Pike (after-
wards General Pike) at Plattsburgh, each ordered gene-
ral courts martial, approved or disapproved the sentences,
and carried them into execution ; General Dearborn at
the same time commanded at Greenbusli. Some officers
above my rank, passed through Albany in the course of
tlie summer, without my knowledge, none giving me any
orders. When General Hampton passed through Albany,
on his way to the frontiers, he refused to give me orders
on any subject. This being a kind of deposit for all sick,
invalids, rogues, and deserters, the latter increased upon
me to an alarming degree. 1 appointed general courts
martial, approved and disapproved their sentences, and
carried them into effect, one man only was shot for re- ^

peated desertion, according to the sentence of the court.
In all this, I not only conceived I was doing my duty but ^

a service to my country. It seems, however, I misjudg-
ed. On the receipt of your letter of the 12th ultimo. I
immediately wrote to General Wilkinson by an express,
but I have received no answer. Our numbers now in
the provost-guard for capital crimes, are about forty and
daily increasing. It is often attended with some difficul-
ty to assemble officers in this vicinity sufficient to form a
general court martial.

« It would be useless for mc to attempt the enumera-
tion of evils, resulting from an unqualified decision, of the
illeg£^lity of those general courts martial which were or-
dered by me. Those under sentence must be released*
and I left to make my peace with them.

• This evinces the danger of precedent and the necessity of nip-
ping -it in the bud.

m

952 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. « The charge of murder for the one who was shot,
^^^' would be in active circulation immediately. Lieutenant
Curtis was sentenced to he suspended from his command
three months, Avhich time has some months since expired
and he is now here doing duty. Lieutenants Cobb and
Blanvelt could not receive a new trial upon the merits of
their charges, as many of the material \Aitnesses are not
here, or within my controul. Could the government so
far sanction or confirm what is past, as to do away those
evils ? I have no wish to ask or usurp any power not con-
fided to me 5 an immediate answer would be very ac-
ceptable.

« I have the honour to be,

« With sentiments of respect,
<« Your obedient servant,
« S. LARNED,

Col. 9th Coin'g.
(t Colotiel J, B. Walhachi Mj* Gen.**

<« Adjutaivt ^ Inspector Generates Office,
Washington, 9th March, 1814.
« Sir,

« Yoor letter of the 9th February has been received,
and submitted to the secretary of. war, by whose direc-
tion, I inform you, that the President has decided, that
Grcenbush be considered a separate command, so far as
relates to courts martial hitherto held. This decision,
you will observe, is a conjirmation of the several sen-
tences of general courts martial, held under your orders,
and will render unnecessary, any further proceedings in
the cases of Lieutenants Cobb, Blanvelt and others.
« I am, Sir,

« Your obedient servant,
«J. B. WALBACH,

Jldjuiant General.

<i Colonel 8, Lamed, Com^g. Grcenbush,
State of Mw Fork.'*

CHAP.
XII.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 558

<' Mbany, 12th March, 1814.
** Sir,

<* Lieutenants Cobb and Blauvelt having become enti-
tled to a new trial by the decision of tlie war department,
I had made some exertions to summon a new court mar-
tial, but found it impracticable, until the trial of General
Hull should be near a close; previous to which I was re-
lieved from my command at Grcenbush, which leaves
Lieutenant Cobb there, and puts it out of my power to
proceed. Lieutenant Blauvelt hath not made his appear-
ance, or given me any information where he is. I have
thought it my duty to state the above facts to the depart-
ment of war.

« I am, with great respect,
" Your obedient servant,

« S. LARNED, Col. 9th Inf.

« Colonel TValbach, Adj. Gen.'^

** Troy, March 2d, 1815.
" Sir,

<* In reply to your letter of this date, I have the honour
to inform you that I was a member of a general court
martial of which Lieutenant-colonel Young was presi-
dent, ordered at Greenbush by Colonel Larned, in July,
1813, at which Lieutenant Cobb of the light artillery,
and Lieutenant Blauvelt of the 13th infantry, were dis-
missed the service. Lieutenant Curtis of the 15th infan-
try, suspended for a limited time, and Samuel Helms, a
private (of what regiment I do not recollect) sentenced to
be shot for desertion, all of which sentences were approv-
ed of by the commanding officer, and carried into execu-
tion. Not having papers with me by which I can re-
fresh my memory, I am unable to give you the precise
dates, but I know the sentences were appn»ved and pro-
mulgated immediately after the proceedings were handed
vol. I. 4 A

051 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, over by the judge advocate. Helms was executed in the
^'^" latter part of August or the first part of September fol-
lowing. I was officer of the day, and superintended his
execution.

« By the same court many other soldiers were tried
and sentenced to various punishments, but my recollec-
tion is not sufficient to enable me to particularise them.
'< I have the honour to be. Sir,
« Your most obedient servant,
« ASA B. SIZER,

Major, 29th Infantry.

if Major-general Wilkinson.^*

The facts are before the people, who will decide on their
merits, and if Lieutenants Cobb and Blauvelt were not
illegally dishonoured, and the life of Samuel Helms un-
lawfully taken, then I shall acknowledge my error, and
make every reparation to the accused.

I trust it will not be improper for me to close this chap-
ter, with the flattering testimonial from the man, who
has been deservedly styled the father of his coun-
try.

« United States, April 2d, ±79ii.
<* Sir,

«' I have received the letter you addressed to me, ac-
companied by a new map of the present theatre of war,
north-west of the Ohio, which I consider as the best de-
scription extant of the country to which it relates.

"The value of the object is greatly enhanced in my
estimation, by its being the production of the officer se-
cond in command of the American legion.

« This desire of being useful, in the highest degree, to
the service in which you are employed, affords me great
satisfaction ; nothing should have prevented my having
had it pulbiished but an appreheusion, that an improper

GENERAL WILKINSON. 555

use may be made of the informjition it contains, in tikis chap.
apparently eventful moment. This apprehension, how- ^"
ever, may be obviated at a future period.
« I am, Sir,

« Your most obed't. humble serv't.
« GO. WASHINGTON.
** Brigadier-general Wilkinson."

The following letters should have been inserted at page
546, but were accidently omitted, they bear testimony to
the point of attack preferred by the enemy, and sliew that
the fortification of the Petite Coquille prevented the inva-
sion of New Orleans by Lake Pontchartrain,* I hold them
of sufficient importance to be inserted in this place, and
refer my reader back for the application.

Extract of a letter from Lieutenant-commandant Jones, of
the navy, to General James TVilkinson, dated .August
16th, 1815.

« After the capture of the gun boats which I command,
od in the Malheureux pass, on the 14th of last December,
I was taken on board the enemy's fleet at Ship Island,
many interrogatories were put to me relative to the de-
fences of New Orleans, and particularly that of the Pe-
tite Coquille, which post the enemy were then preparing
to attack by lightening several of his gun brigs, dis-
mounting their carronades and mounting from 4 t^ 6
long 1 8 pounders in each vessel, for the purpose of batter-
ing. The enemy considered the capture of our gun boats,
an event of much importance to the success of his contem-
plated attack on the Coquille, the reduction of which he
considered a *' sine qua nan" to his ulterior operations^
since the defeat of tlic British at New Orleans, some of
their officers have declared, that the want of a correct
knowledge of the strength and position of the works at
the Coquille, was all that prevented the attack as first con-
templated; and that the information given them by a spy,
who was sent to reconnoitre the post, fell so far short of -

§56 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, what they conceived, so important to the defence of New
XIII. Orleans, and differed so widely from the accounts given
by the officers and men, who were captnred in the gun
boats, whose accounts corroborated each other; as well as
some corresponding letters of officers and men, which fell
into the enemy's hands ; as to create in the enemy a
want of confidence in the fidelity of his spy, who, I believe
was dismissed from his employment on that occasion.'*

" Philadelphiaf Sth December, 1815.
" Dear Sir,

«• As well as I can now recollect, it was about the 27th
or 28th January, 1815, that I spent a night on board the
vessel on which Commodore Lockyer hoisted his flag,
near the eastern mouth of the River Pearl, on my way
to the British fleet, which then lay near the North Chan-
deliers, for the purpose of exchanging prisoners. Dur-
ing much conversation which I had with the Commodore,
and Captain Gordon of the Seahorse frigate, I inquired
v/hy the attack on New Orleans was not made by the
way of Lake Pontchartrain, their answer was, *« that they
were afraid of risking an attack on the post of Petite Co-
quille." I had been at Coquille for the benefit of my
health, a short time befoie the gun boats were taken, it
was then in the situation you left it, open in the rear and
lower side; General Jackson had not then arrived at
New Orleans.

« With great respect,

"WILLIAM FLOOD.
♦« Major-general Wilkinson."

fciENERAL WILKINSON. 557

CHAPTER XIII.

Jftejledions on the conduct of President Madison at the com- chap.
mencement of the war. — Loss of Michilimackinac. — Con- ^_^„^^
sequences considered. — Extract of letters from fVilkinsoit
to the secretary of war; from Lieutenant Ilancks, late
commandant at Michilimackinac, to General Hidl; and
from Sir George Prevost to Earl Bathnrst. — A glance at
General Harrison^s military career. — Reflections thereon,
— Military movements on the frontiers of the state of J\*ew
Fork. — Jl body of militia of that state called into service
under the command of Major-general Van Rensselaer. —
Colonel Van Rensselaer^ project against Prescott. — As-
sembly of troops on the strait of JViugara. — General Van
Rensselaer meditates an attack on (^ueenstown and Fort
George.— His letter to General Dearborn on that siibject,
Oct. 8th, 1816. — Judgment displayed in the proposed plan
of attack. — Affair of ^ueenstown under Col.VanRensselaer.
^-Account of killed and wounded officers. — Victory obtain-
ed, but afterwards lost by the defection of the militia. —
Captain fVoofs letter. — Reflections on the affair at ^ueens-
town.' — Movement of the enemy from Fort George. — Con-
duct of President Madison. — Consequences of that affair.
— TVhat ought to have been the conduct of the American
troops. — Reflections on General Van Rensselacr^s conduct
and that of the militia. — Objects of the armament and re-
turn of troops. — General Van Rensselaer resigns his com-
mand, and is succeeded by Brig. Gen. Smyth — The con-
duct of the latter glanced at, and his maltreatment by
President Madison exposed. — The affair of Sackett*s
Harbour. — The conduct of General Brown and the mili-
tia.— Landing of the enemy, and combat with a detach-
ment of regular recruits, under Lieutenant-colonel Backus
and Major Aspinwall. — The enemy are repulsed with
loss, and retreat. — Return of the detachment of regulars.

658 MEMOIRS BY

— Reflections on this incident, and the conduct of the Pre-
dent, — General Brown rewarded for the services of
others. — Return of killed and rvounded. — Situation of the
northern army in ^iigust, 1813, adverted to. — Wilkin-
son* s motives for taking the commandf and determination
not to outlive misfortune. — His afflictions and disappoint-
ment Wretched condition of the troops in point of health

unknown to him. — Troops reach French Mills Cordon

of posts under a Canadian winter. — Certain develope-
ments proposed. — British deserters and subjects taken in
our ranks. — Pretensions of the enemy. — Conduct of Gene-
ral Dearborn. — Correspondence which ensued. — Termi-
nation of that affair. — Project of an enterpiise against
the British post of Prescott. — Orders to General Brown,
and a letter to the secretary of war. — Communications to
the secretary of war, and with Governor Tompkins. —
Governor Tompkins and Colonel Scott. — Singular letter
to the General, imputed to Governor Tompkins and pub-
lished in the city of Mw York. — Reflections thereon.

CHAP, War once resolved on by President Madison, it bc-

came his duty, before he made the declaration, to ascer-

Reflec *^^" '^'^ resources, the number, condition, and discipline

tions on of hls forces, and the talents and experience of those who

duct of were to lead his armies; to settle the plan on which it should

President |,e conducted, whether offensively or defensively, and to

Madison, . , , . i. ,

atthecom- have Concerted his measures accordingly. At the same
maice- time, he should have ascertained precisely tlie number.

went 01 , , 1 I n o ,

the war of disposition, and defences of the enemy ; and having de-
1812. termined on his points of attack, he should have taken
the necessary means to concentrate such a force as would
have insured success. No danger could have arisen out
of delay, except to his re-election ; and at all events, he
should have possessed himself of the most exact topogra-
phical knowledge of the theatre, on which he might be
eventually engaged. He should have anticipated proba-
ble consequences and been prepared for them, by put-
ting his exposed frontier posts in a state of security;
he should have accumulated, at convenient depots, ran-

GENERAL WILKINSON. QQ^

nitions of war, battering and field trains, transport and chap.
provisions, and all the necessary attirail of armies; ^"'•
and, abofe all, he should have kept his resolution s»
perfectly disguised, as to have concealed it effectually
from the adverse power. Being tlius prepared, war
sliould have been declared, and the enemy might have
been swept from every occupancy* in Canada, dur-
ing the first campaign. But what was the conduct of
the chief magistrate and his counsellors? Were their
measures adapted to the exigency they had produced?
Were their plans calculated to anticipate the natural
and necessary movements of the enemy ? How deplorably
different was the course pursued ! After the country
was committed to the calamities of war, and he had se-
cured his re-ekctiorif President Madison contented him-
self with attempts to induce the enemy to negociate, and
the display of injudicious projects, blustering pretensions
and temporising expedients; leaving the country, gene-
rally, to its fate, for the first nine months, without a
single act of salutary provision, or a solitary measure of
judicious precaution.^ This improvidence of our public
counsels, laid the foundation of irrecoverable evils, and
the late war was distinguished from its commencement to
its termination, by a succession of misfortunes, as far as

y
• I include Quebec, on the presumption the garrison would have
been ordered to the defence of Montreal, and have been there cap-
tured.

f The connivance of the executive with the committees of Con-
gress, on this occasion, shewed the dangers to which the rights of a
nation may be exposed, by a perversion of the powers and a disregard
of the duties, of the executive and legislative departments. "When
the estimates for the military establishment were presented to Con-
gress, and referred to the committee of ways and means, the minister
of war, proposed to reduce the estimate to half the amount actually
necessary, in order to secure popularity ; and the committee and both
houses of Congress acquiesced in the imposition; those who were in
the secret were silent, and those who were not, either knew so little
of their duty or paid so little attention to it, that the law passed to
reduce -, and the consequence was seen in tlie miseries and sufferings
on tlic frontier, and the failure of many practics^ble enterprises.

560 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP they could be produced, by the errors and neglects of tb6
^"^ executive, of which the loss of Michilimackinac formed
the chef d'ceuvre.

When some able historian shall hereafter undertake to
record a circumstantial, and connected narrative of this
epoch of the American history ; wherein the agencies, in-
trigues and interests which produced the war, and the
operations and effects which ensued, shall be carefully
traced and impartially developed ; it will hardly be cre-
dited, that after he had determined on hostilities. President
Madison should have been so negligent, or so ignorant of
his duty to the state as to permit his antagonist, who was
unapprised of his intention, to strike the first blow ; and
take from him the most critical, commanding, and im-
portant post of tlie interior frontier j yet it will be impos-
sible to deny the fact, or palliate the disgrace, which
stands unrivalled but by the battle of Bladensburgh.

It is difficult to account for this misfortune, without
implicating the integrity of the cabinet, on any ground
unconnected with the supposition, that the executive and
his minister were entirely forgetful of the existence of
such a post, and its occupancy by tlie troops of the Unit-
ed States ; since the garrison could have been reinforced,
and equipt for offensive operations, without exciting sus-
, picions or alarm; and by the seasonable provision of relay
horses and confidential expresses, with suitable water
craft at Detroit or at St. Joseph's river of Lake Michi-
gan, the declaration of war might have been transmitted
from the scat of government to Michilimackinac in ten
days. The British post of St. Joseph's might then
have been surprised and captured, and the Indians
ever ready to join the strongest party, would have sided
with us; Maiden would have fallen without a struggle,
. the country would have risen in our behalf, tlie enemy
woidd have been driven back upon Fort George, and
millions of property, thousands of lives and the honour of
our arms would have been saved. But by the blind negli-
gence of the executive, and the imprudence or treachery
of a confidant, the enemy were enabled to anticipate his

GENERAL WILKINSON. 561

intclHi^ence in the north, and, oh shame ! the command- chap.
inij ofHrer of St. Joseph announces the declaration of war xiii.
to Lieutenant Ilancks at Michilimackinac, and takes the ^■^'"^''^^^
place by surprise. The Indians beinj^ now assured of.Miciiiii.
protection, Indulge their natural animosity, join the Stan- '"^ckiiiuc.
dard of the enemy in hordes, descend the waters and at-
tack us in front, Hank and rear ; the war is transferred
lo our own territory, the capital of the frontier ia taken,
our country is invaded, battles are fought, and a cruel
warfare is kept up in th.at quarter, with varied success,
for more than a year, at the expense of much blood and
many millions. These facts require no illustration, they
are fresh in every person's memory, but the following ex-
tracts from my letter to the secretary of war, and of
Lieutenant Uancks's and Sir George Prevost's to their
superiors, will evince my disapprobation of the conduct
of tlie war, will expose the criminal neglect of President
Madison, and establish the justice of my deductions,
founded on the catastrophe qf Michilimackinac*

Extract of a letter from General Wilkinson to the secretary
of war, dated J^cw Orleans, Maij 2od, IS 13,

" In the mean time, I beg you to understand, that with
my lights on the subject, I disapprove of every step,
which has been taken against the Canadas, and it will be
diflicult to get right, however plain the road.'*

* Tlie fuct that the enemy was apprised of the declaration of war
at Maiden, nine days before our post at Detroit, is unquestionable;
and it has been repeatedly and publicly declared, without any attempt
to refute the fact, that a letter bearing the siifnature of a minister of
the cabinet was for a time arrested in the post office at Detroit, which
liad been brought to that place by an express or by mail, from a mer-
chant in one of our seaport cities ; this letter is stated to have been
exhibited to a brave officer, then, it is believed, in command at that
post, ColonelJesup, who seeing the signature of a minister, consider-
ed himself as bound to respect it. The name of Colonel Jesup is not
used with his knowlcdj^e, nor privacy, nor has the author ever convers-
ed with him on the subject ; but from a reliance on his known honour,
that he would contradict it, if liie facts be not true. Mr. Abbot, tlic
post master at Detroit, Captain Duggan, of the quarter -master's de-
partment, and many others, it is said, saw the letter.

VOL. I. 4 B

56^ MEMOIRS BY

Exiracl of a Utter from Lieutenant Hancks, late command-
ant of Michilimackinac, to General Hull, dated. Detroit,
August 4th, 1812.

« Sir,

« I take the earliest opportunity to acquaint your ex-
cellency, of the surrender of the garrison of Michilimac-
kinac under my command, to his Britannic Majesty's
forces under the command of Captain Charles Roberts,
on the 17th ultimo. On the 16th, I was informed that
several nations of Indians then at St. Joseph, and a Bri-
tish detachment, distant 45 miles, intended to make an im-
mediate attack on Michilimackinac, I accordingly des-
patched Captain Daurman to St. Joseph's, to watch the
Indians ; he embarked about sunset and met the British
forces within 10 or 15 miles of the island, by whom he
was made prisoner, and put on hiS parole of honour. He
was landed on tlie island at day-break, with positive
orders to give no intelligence whatever; he was also in-
structed to take the inhabitants of the village, indiscrimi-
nately, to a place on the west side of the island, where
their persons, and property, would be protected by a Bri-
tish guard, but should they go to the fort, they would be
subject to a general massacre by the savages, which
would be inevitable, if the garrison fired a gun. This
information I received from Doctor Day, who was pass-
ing through the village, when every person was flying
for refuge to the enemy. Immediately on being informed
of the approach of the enemy, I placed ammunition, Sec.
in the block houses, ordered every gun to be charged, and
every preparation for action. About 9 o'clock, I could
discover, that the enemy were in possession of the heights*
that commanded the fort, and one piece of their artillery
directed to the most defenceless part of the garrison.
The Indians at this time were to be seen at the edge of
the woods. At half past 11 o'clock, the enemy sent in a

♦ The occupancy of this position, the author recommended in UI?
niemoir in 1799, and several times since.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 663

flag of truce, demanding a surrender of the fort and is- cm A P.
land, to his Britannic Majesty's forces. T/a.v, »S'ir, xvas -^"'•
the Jirst injbrmation I had of the declaration of war; I had
however anticipated it, and was as well prepared to meet
sucii an event, as I possibly could have been witli the
force under my command, amounting to 57 effective
m,en including officers."

Extract of a letter from Lieutenant-general Sir George Pre-
vost to Earl Bathurst, secretary of state, for war, ^c.
dated Montreal, 26th August, 1816.

« In these measures he was most opportunely aided by
the fortunate surrender of Fort Michilimackinac, which,
giving spirit and confidence to the Indian tribes in its
neighbourhood^ part of whom assisted in its capture, de-
termined them to advance upon tlie rear and flanks of the
American army, as soon as tliey heard it liad entered the
province."

Before I step from this theatre of war, it is due to A glance.
truth and justice, and may furnish a useful lesson to Ha^rT^n^s
the youth of military aspirations, that I should take a military
glance at General Harrison's career. The distinc- '^*^^^^-
tion acquired in the vigorous affair of Tippicanoe,*
and in the obstinate, gallant and triumphant defence of
Fort Meigs, v^^ere consecrated by the capture and disper-
sion of General Proctor's army ; the death of the formi-
dable Indian commander Tecumseh ; and the subjec-
tion of the savage hordes, who had contributed essentially
to stain the honour of tlic American arms, which was
thus wiped off by the humiliation of the confederate band,
that had infested our north-western frontier. Yet these
meritorious military services, after having received the
plaudits of the giddy multitude, and more than once ex-
torted the parsimonious praise of President Madison,
could not protect their author against congressional in-
trigues and ministerial jealousy; and President Madison

* I destroyed this Indian einporiun^ in 1^91, with a corps of 350
militia from Kentucky.

501^ MEMOIRS BY

CHAi'. calmly bciield the officer, vvliom lie had deservedly eulo-
^^^^' gised, thrust out oC the service by the usurpations of his
wai' minister, to which it would have been dishonourable
to submit. Such apathy and indifference to the feelings
and honour of those he was bound to protect, was enough
to have chilled ardour, repressed honourable emulation.,
and palsied the exertions of patriotism. Thank God, we
have passed the painful crisis; and let it be hoped, that
the demoralizing system which has so severely afflicted
the body politic, will terminate with the power of its
patron.

If my reader will accomiiany me down Lake Erie to
the straits of Niagara, the same scenes of executive
ignorance and imbecility will be presented to him. Wc
shall there find a heterogeneous assemblage of citizens
and soldiers of various denominations, from the unre-
strained volunteer to the regular recruit for fiTe years,
\vithout organization of any kind, commanded by gentle-
men who had to learn their duty; and unprovided with
the munitions of war, even to the indispensable article of
provisions. From such unseasoned materials, it was un-
reasonable to expect that a scdid superstructure could be
immediately erected; but those who had the direction of
the war, who had never witnessed the difficulties, nor ex-
perienced the vicissitudes of military operations, were im-
patient for triumphs, because they had predicted them.
Military Major-general Dearborn had been placed in the com-
ments on mand of the northern frontier early in IS 12, with views

the iron- to the invasion of Canada; but, if I am riglitly informed,

tier of the , , , , . , , .

state of Without being furnished with any plan, general or parti-

New York. j.j,j^,.^ or any indication of the course whicii might pro-
bably be pursuctl, for the direction of his operations.
Lake Champlaiii presented the great military highway
to the centre of the enemy's province, and the American
settlements at the foot of that lake were remote and ex-
posed; the general therefore judiciously determined, to
take his first position with the regular itcruits in that
quarter; but in the progress of the campaign, the mis-
fortune at Detroit, put the western frontier of ibQ state

X]1ENERAL AVILKINSOJV. 563

of New York in danger, aiwl in defect of regular troops, CIIAP,
tlie general called on the governor of the state for a ^'"
hody of militia. This gentleman, who distinguished ^*^^^^
]iims(;lf as a supporter of the war, did not hesitate militia
to comply with the requisition, and Major-general geivijj"'^^
Stephen Van Rensselaer was selected for the command, under
Th(j motives of this selection were equivocal, but in re- of M'Tfof
lation to the public service it was well judged, because of general
the amiable disposition, the elevated patriotism, the sound seber '^"''
discretion, the solid judgment, inflexible honour and firm
resolution of this officer. But General Van Rensselaer
was opposed in politics to Governor Tompkins, and had
differed also with him in opinion as to the expediency of
the war; and at the same time tlrey were rival candi-
dates for the government of the state. In the spirit of the
times, when almost every public measure is regulated by
interested intrigue, the suggestion may not be uncharita-
ble, that this command was offered to General Van Rens-
selaer, in the expectation that he would refuse it; and
that Lis refusal would affect his popularity. But this vir-
tuous citizen, although in possession of the first patri-
monial estate in America, and in the enjoyment of every
blessing which can sweeten domestic life, notwiWistand-
ing his opposition to the policy of the war, was too sen-
sible of the obligation which he owed to his country and
its government, to pause a moment for the course he
should pursue. He received the orders of General Dear-
born, and commenced his march for the frontier, accom-
panied by Col. Solomon Van Rensselaer, adjutant-general
of the state of New York, of whom I must be permitted
to say a few words. This high minded citizen soldier,
and honourable man, made his noviciate in arms under
my orders, as a cornet of dragoons, more than twenty
years before, and at that tender age was distinguislied
for his coolness and intrepidity in action. Ilis fatljcr had
served as a lieutenant-colonel in the revolutionary war,
and fought and bled for his country in the affair near
Fort Ann, against the 9th British regiment of infantry,
in irrr; he had transfused his spirit and patriotism into

666 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, his son, who in my presence, during the campaign of
^"'* 1794-, fought with sangfroid, and hied with complacency.
Rising by regular promotion to a troop, he was particu-
larly noticed by General Washington, and raised to the
command of a squadron ; but he was among the disband-
ed at the reduction of 1800 ; and after that period, al-
though anxious for a military appointment, to which he
would have done honour, his politics, as a good federalist,
opposed an insuperable bar to his applications.

On reaching Utica, General Van Rensselaer was call-
ed to Sackett's Harbour, by a rumour of the movements
of the enemy in that quarter, and from thence, after a
short halt, he proceeded to Ogdensburg, where Colonel
Van Rens- Yan Rensselaer projected a handsome enterprize, which
project failed through the want of a few regular troops; an
against armed vessel of the enemy lay alongside a wharf adjoin-
ing the British magazines at Prescott, on the opposite
shore. Colonel Van Rensselaer proposed, with 120 men,
to ascend the St. Lawrence four or five miles after night,
cross the river, fall dow n under the Canada shore, take
possession of the buildings and carry the vessel, board-
ing her by land and water at the same time. Volunteers
from the militia turned out for the enterprize at evening
roll call, but at midnight they had changed their minds,
and as they believed there existed no competent autho-
rity to order them beyond the limits of the state, this fea-
sible project was abandoned.

From Ogdensburgh General Van Rensselaer returned
to the southward, and established his head quarters at
Lewistown, on the strait of Niagara,* whilst General
Smyth of the continental service, was ordered to take
post in the vicinity of Black Rock, at the head of the
strait. TIjis association was unfortunate, as the latter
gentleman's high military pretensions could not be re-
conciled, to the command of a militia general on his first
tour of duty, however res|)ectable as a citizen j and it
is presumed this temper |)roduced a spirit of insubor-

• See Atlas, No. XV.

GENERAI. AVILKINSON. />67

dination, repulsive of the harmony and concert wliicli chap.
is essential to cordial co-operation, and that the public ^'"•
service was sacrificed to personal sensibility. Tlie ''"^""'^'^
campaign glided away under the tardy levy of regular
troops, and the dilatory assembly of the yeomanry; and
it was October before General Van Rensselaer found him-
self in force to warrant offensive operations. It appears General
that at this period his solicitude for his own reputation, se^"er ^e-
and more especially the interests of the service and the ditates an
Jionour of the country, determined him to strike at the Queens^"
enemy. Pursuant to this object, on the 5th of October, town.
he, by letter, required a conference with Brigadier-gene-
ral Smyth, and the commanding officers of corps under
his immediate orders. He addressed Major-general Hall
to the same effect; and after these preliminary steps, on
the 8th, he made the following interesting communication
to t}ie commander in chief.

« H. q. Lexvistown, Oct, Sth, 1812.
« Sir,

« It is now nearly three months since, in obedience to ms letter
the call of my country, I took the field to form and disci- «" that
pline an army, and to sliape and direct a campaign on the
very extensive frontiers of this state. This service, even
in prospect, presented innumerable difficulties and em-
barrassments. Thus far I have met them in that manner
wiiich my own mind justifies, and I trust my country
will approve. After a general review of our frontiers,
my own judgment did not suffer me to doubt, that the
Niagara river must be the scene of our decisive opera-
tions, and I selected this neighbourhood as the place best
adapted to our measures, and here encamped.

« Well knowing that the duties of the station which
you hold were complicated and embarrassing, I have pa-
tiently endured much, that the affairs of my depai'tment
might embarrass you the less. The crisis through which
I have passed for the last month, has been trying indeed;
particulars upon this occasion are unnc:ossary; but the
result has justified my measures, and I a*'?, satisfied. Yet

568 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. I am well aware, that any merit which may be attached
^"''' to this negative service, will not satisfy the expectations
of my country: to have barely escaped disaster will not
be thought enough : the object of the war remains unac-
complished, a new crisis is opening, and as in it, you
Sir, as well I, have a deep stake of responsibility, I shall
with great freedom state to you a number of facts, submit-
ting my opinions connected with them, and with deference
leave the general conclusion to your own judgment; and
as the honour and interest of the United States, your own
character and mine, aj'e most intimately connected in the
subject of deliberation, I hope and trust it may receive
all the attention which its importance merits.

« The United States declared the war. One army has
surrendered in disgrace, and another has but little more
than escaped the reiteration of the blow. The national
character is degraded, and the disgrace will remain coi^-
I'oding the public feeling and spirit, until another cam-
paign j unless it be instantly wiped away by a brilliant
close of this. — ^A detail of particulars is needless ; you.
Sir, know service. Our best troops are raw; many oT
them dejected by the distress their families suffer by their
absence, and many have not necessary clothing: we are
in a cold country, the season is far advanced, and un-
usually inclement; we are half the time deluged with
rain. The blow must be struck soon, or all the toil and
expense of the campaign go for nothing, and worse than
jiotliing, for the whole will be tinged with dishonour.
With my present force it would be rash to attempt offen-
sive operations. I have only 1,700 effective men^ of the
militia on tliis Vfhole line. The regular troops have
nearly all arrived in the vicinity of Buffaloe, except
Schuyler's regiment. The batteaux have not arrived,,
and 1 learn they very narrowly escaped the Royal Georget
at the mouth of Genesee river, where slie had just cut out
the schooner Lady Murray, and a revenue cutter. But
two or three companies of the Pennsylvania troops had

* His reinforcements had not tUen arrived.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 369

arrived at BufTuloe, when I received my last advice from chap.
thence. -^'"

<» Un !er these circumstances, and the impressions nc- '"^^^^'^^
cessarily resulting from them, I am adopting decisive
measures for chjsing tlie fall campaign; hut shall wait
your approhation of tlie plan, and the ariival of the com-
petent force to execute it. I have summoned Major-ge-
neral Mall, Brigadier-general Smyth, and the comman-
dants of the United States regiments, to meet me on a
consultation; and I am well aware, tliat some opinions
entitled to great respect, will be offered for crossing the
Niagara a little below Fort Erie, and pursuing the march
down the river. 1 think this plan liable to many objec-
tions. The enemy have works at almost every point, and
even an inferior force might hold ns in check, and render
our march slow; by taking up the bridges at Chippewa,
they might greatly embarrass ns : the cleared country is
but a mile or two wide^ one flank would be constantly
liable to be galled by Indians from the swamps; for
a considerable distance, the rapidity of the current, and
the height of the banks, render transportation across the
river impracticable; of course, our supplies must follow
the line of march, with the trouble and hazard of them
every day increasing; and should the enemy retreat from
General Harrison, they would have a double object in in-
tercepting^ our supplies; and by falling on our rear, and
cutting off our communication, we might experience the
fate of Hull's army. Besides these and many other ob-
jections, there is no object on that side, until we should
arrive at the commanding heights of Quccnstown, which
are opposite my camp.

*' The proposal which I shall submit to the council,
will be, that we immediately concentrate the regular force
in the neighbourhood of Niagara, and the militia here,
make the best possible dispositions, and at the same time
the regulars shall pass from the Four Jlile creek to a point
in the rear of the works of Fort George, and take it by
storm: I will i)ttss the river here, and carnj the heights of
VOT,. I. 4 0

570 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, ^ueenstown. Should we succeed, we shall effect a great
■^"^' discomfiture of the enemy, by breaking their line of com-
munication, driving their shipping from the mouth of this
i^iver, leaving them no rallying point in this part of the
country, appalling the minds of the Canadians, and open-
ing a wide and safe commOnication for our supplies ; we
sliall save our own land — wipe away part of the score of
our past disgrace — get excellent barracks and winter
quarters, and at least be prepared for an early campaign
another year. As soon as the result of the council shall
be known, I shall advise you of it. I have received your
letter of the 29th ultimo, and shall acquaint Mr. Harrison
with your direction. I regret the slowness of the mail.-
I have furnished an escort for it from this to Buffaloe.

<« With great respect and consideration, &c.

"STEPHEN VAN RENSSELAER*

«« Hon, Major-general Dearborn,**

Judgment From this letter it will appear to any professional man
displayed acquainted with the country, and the circumstances of

mth. plan * ''

of attack, the enemy at the time, that although General Van Rens-
selaer was not professionally a military man, he reasons
very much like a soldiery his point of attack was select-
ed with masterly judgment, because from its apparent
difficulty, it was the least suspected, when, in fact, thfe
counter currents under the opposite shores, and the nar-
rowness of the river,* rendered it the preferable traverse^
and as to the plan of the enterprize, which he hadjinally
determined on, it was so simple and so perfect, that an
act of God alone cwuld have prevented the success,
which would have reflected honour on a master of the
trade.

If the reader will cast his eyes over the map. No. 15,
he will perceive General Van Rensselaer's camp at Lew-

* Three hundred and fifty yards wide.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 57t

istown (B), from whence a road (M M) had been cut r riAP.
by his order, six miles through a wood to (N), at Four ^"'
Mile creek, where sixty batteaux lay equipped for ser- "^"^''^^^
vice ; from whence it is four and an half miles by water
to Fort George, under a high bank, which conceals the
movement, until the boats turn the point of Niagara.
The ground is so much elevated at Lewistown and
Queenstown, that it may be called a mountain ; it is an
immense platform, wliich overlooks the plain below until
it is terminated by Lake Ontario ; of consequence, every
movement from Fort George would have been under the
General's eye, as well as that of the officer at Fort Nia-
gara. It was General Van Rensselaer's intention, to
have marched General Smyth, and one thousand five
hundred regular troops to the mouth of the Four Mile
creek, by the new road (M M), cut for the purpose,
there to have been held in readiness to embark at a mi-
nute's notice. Queenstown was then to be attacked, and
as it was guarded by two companies of the 49th regiment
with a party of militia and Indians only, it would have
been carried, with the battery on the heights, as after-
wards happened. These operations, within hearing of
Fort George, could not fail to draw forth the garrison to
sustain the post of Queenstown, and repel the invaders;
and as soon as the British column was discovered in
motion, General Smyth would have embarked by a sig-
nal, and when it approached Queenstown he would have
been ordered, by a courier, to proceed to the attac k of
Fort George, which could not have been anticipated more
than twenty minutes, and being deprived of its garrison,
resistance would have been vain. In the spirit of these
memoirs, I shall forbear to condemn, except when urged
by facts. That so feasible a plan, and one of such im-
portance to the national honour and interests should have
failed, was to be deplored, and the occasion certainly pre-
sented a fair subject for inquiry ; because it could not
have happened without some fault, which, for the good
of the service should have been ascertained, especially^

57^ MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, when General Yan Rensselaer defied investigation ; but
^'^^" the crooked policy of a corrupt cabinet will not bear in-
quiry, except when it is deemed necessary to hunt down
obnoxious individuals.

Disappointed, by causes he could not controul, in the
meditated attack on the 11th of October, to which the
impatience of the militia had compelled him to assent, be-
fore his measures weie matured; and not having heard
from Brigadier-general Smyth on the 11th, in answer to
his note of the 5th ; General Van Rensselaer hoped the
temper of the troops would allow him time, to repeat his
summons for a consultation with the most experienced of
his officers, who lay near BufFaloe, witii the intention to
carry into effect his original design ,* but the ardour of
those under his immediate orders, had been heated by
disappointment, and numbers now proposed to him the
alternative, of marching against the enemy or marching
home. In such a dilemma he could not hesitate, and
on consulting the principal officers of his camp, and
finding them earnest for an inmiediate attack, he de-
termined to carry the works of the enemy on the morn-
ing of the 12th, before day ; having the evening before
received a reinforcement of 350 i-egular recruits, under
Lieutenant-colonel Christie, who volunteered his ser-
vices.
Affair of No fatilt can be found with the plan of attack, except
Queens- j,^ jj,j, deficiency of transport, whicJi, consisting of thir-
■ under tecn batteaux, limited the assaulting party to 300 uon-
Va!i"R\is commissioned officers and privates; and this defect is as-
saker. cribed to the deficiency of competent means in the quar-
ter-master's department. The embarkation was to have
taken place on the morning of the 12th, before day, in
the following order, vix: Cohmel S. Van Rensselaer with
300 militia, Lieutenant-colonel Christie with 300 regu-
lars ; the whole commanded by Colonel Van Rensselaer :
Lieutenant-colonel Fcnwick and Major Mullany, were
to follow with about 550 regular troops, and some pieces
A)f flying artillery, and then the militia according to ordei-o '

GENERAL AVILKINSON. 573

The attacking party was formed in .ejood timo, and cfiap.
marched oft" by files abreast, Lieutenant-colonol Christie ^'"
leading the regulars, and Major Mf)rrisr)n the militia.
When he arrived at the bank of the river, Colonel Van
ilensselacr halted the detachment, and descended \\ith
Major Lush, and Lieutenant Gansevctort, who acted as
liis aids, to see the boats arranged, and formed in two
divisions, one for the regulars, and the other for the mi-
litia^ as it was intended their embarkation should be si-
multaneous, as Car as the craft would suffice to receive
them ; but in descending the bank by a narrow path,
which had been dug out of it, the regular troops got pos-
session to the exclusion of the militi.t, and the necessity
occurred of countermarching a part of the regulars, or
embarking the whole in the first instance, and to save
time the latter plan was adopted, and Major Morrison
ordered to follow with the militia in the return boats.

Colonel Van Rensselaer had examined the bearings of
the enemy's heavy battery, on the mountain at (G),*
and tiiat of one gun below Qucenstown at (L), and per-
ceived that by crossing the river near the gorge of the
mountain, he should in a great measure escape the range
of their shot; he accordingly made his traverse at (0),
and landed on a narrow beach under a steep bank of
forty feet elevation ; but unfortunately three of the boats
which put off with him, bearing Lieutenant-colonel Chris-
tie,! Captain Lawrence, and a subaltern, whose name is
not known, returned without the orders of Colonel Van
Rensselaer, and carried back seventy-five of the detach-
ment, which too sensibly impaired his force; but the re-
treat of this party produced a most pernicious effect on the

* See the Map, No. 15.

f Colonel Christie, whose high standing as an officer, placed his
courage above suspicion, «s 710 more; but Captain Lawrence, who lives,
and is second to no officer of his grade, alleges, I understand, that he
retreated by order of Colonel Christie. At all events, no satisfactory
reason has been given for the boats oot proceeding.

^7^

MEMOIRS BY

CHAP.
Xllf.

Account
of killed
and
wounded.

miliiia, pariiciilarly as it made no immediate attempt to
effect a passage. The natural reflection produced by this
spectacle in the minds of the yeomanry was, « if the re-
gular troops cannot cross the river, surely it cannot be
expected of us." Thousands of spectators were looking
on, and there can be no doubt that the incident staggered
their resolution.

The narrowness of the river, without the agency of
spies, would necessarily warn the enemy of the move-
ment, and they were prepared for Van Rensselaer's re-
ception. Their force at Queenstown when the attack
was made, consisted of two companies of the 49th regi-
ment, 1 suppose one hundred and sixty men, with a party
of militia and a few Indians who resisted their landing;
tliey ascertained Van Rensselaer's approach by the sound
of Ids oars, and opened their fire from the top of the bank,
as soon as they could discern his movements, by which
Lieutenant Rathbone was mortally wounded on board of
Colonel Van Rensselaer's boat. The landing was ef-
fected with 225 men, who formed under a very warm
fire, climbed the bank and routed the enemy at the point
of the bayonet, without firing a shot ; but in this opera-
tion Ensign Morris was killed, and Captains Malcolm,
Armstrong and Wool were wounded, and a number of
men killed and wounded ; Colonel Van Rensselaer him-
self was peculiarly unfortunate, and to the accident which
befel him, the day's disaster may be partly attributed;
he received one ball in his hip which passed out at his
spine, two in his thigh, one of which lodged, two in his
leg, and a sixth contused his heel ; he however kept his
feet, and the enemy having fled towards the town, he or-
dered Captain Wool, the senior ofiicer capable of duty,
to ascend the mountain and carry the battery ; giving
him a direction for his movement, by which he would ,
avoid the fire of the enemy's artillery; placing Lieutenants
Randolph and Ganscvoort, who volunteered, at the head
of the little column, and Major Lush, another volunteer,
in the rear> with orders to put to death the first man who

GENERAL WILKINSON. 575

should fall back. During this time he had concealed his (jy, ^p_
wounds under a great coat, borrowed from Major Lush, xiii.
and when tlie party had filed off before him, no longer ^•^'^""^^
able to support himself, he fell to the ground. It was
just then clear day-light, and he found himself amongst
the wounded, the dying and the dead ; a crust of bread
and some water furnished by one of the former, prevent-
ed him from fainting ; the anguish resulting from his
wounds and every selfish feeling, was silenced by tlic con-
templation of the sufferings of his wounded companions,
but even these lost much of their interest, when put in
competition with his anxiety for the safety and success, of
the gallant detachment he had ordered to the heights. It
pleased however the great Disposer of events, that this
anxiety should be short-lived, and for the blood he had
thus spilled in his country's cause, he was remunerated
by the consoling shouts of victory. I had marked this
patriot soldier some eighteen years before, when « the cal-
low down had scarce began to shade his cheek, and call
him man," giving earnest of future promise, and assert-
ing claims to future faniej I beheld him in a gallant
charge at the head of his troop, shot through the body,
and with the blood oozing from his lungs, still smiling with
complacency ; yet since the days of General Washington,
nor the blood of the father nor the son has found grace
in the eyes of the executive ; and amidst thousands of
offices which have been indiscriminately lavished on the
worthy and the worthless, this faithful citizen and ho-
nourable man has not been deemed worthy of atten-
tion.

The sequel of the affair of Queenstown, about which
wc have heard almost as much misrepresentation and
folly as about the battle of Bridgcwater, will be best de-
scribed by an extrac t from the official letter of General
Van Renssalaer;* and the following report of Captain
Wool will put to rest several controverted points.

* See Appendix, No. XVJ.

CHAP.
XIII.

576 MEMOIRS BY

« Jiiiffaloe, Oct. 23d, 1812.
' « Dear Sir,

« I have the honour to communicate to you the circum-
stances attending the storming of Queenstown hattery on
the 13th instant ; with those which happened previously
you are already well acquainted.

*« In pursuance of your order, we proceeded round the
point, and ascended the rocks, which hrought us partly
in rear of the hattery. We took it without much resist-
ance. I immediately formed the troops in rear of the
batfery and fronting the village, when I ohserved Gene-
ral Brock with his troops formed, consisting of four com-
panies of the 49th regiment and a few militia, marching
for our left flank. I immediately detached a party of
150 men, to take possession of the heights ahove Queens-
town battery, and to hold General Brock in check ; but
in consequence of his superior force they retreated. I sent
a reinforcement, notwithstanding which the enemy drove
lis to the edge of the bank, when with the greatest exer-
tions we brought tlte troops to a stand, and ordered the
officers to bring their men to a charge, as soon as the
ammunition was expended, which was executed with some
confusion, and in a few moments the enemy retreated. We
pursued them to the edge of the heights, when Col. McDo-
nald had his horse shot from under him, and himself mor-
tally wounded. In the mean time General Brock, in at-
tempting to rally his forces, was killed, when the enemy
dispersed in every direction. As soon as it was practi-
cable, I formed tl\e troops in a line on the heights front-
ing the village, and immediately detached flanking par-
ties, which consisted of Captain Machesney of the 6th
regiment, Lieutenant Smith, and Ensign Grosvenor with
a small detachment of riflemen, which had that moment
arrived ; at the same time I ordered Lieutenant Ganse-
voort and Lieutenant Raiulolph with a detachment of ar-
tillery, to drill out an eighteen pounder which had been

GENERAL WILKINSON. fm

previously spiked, and if possible to Ijiing it to bear upon chaiv
t)io vjllaii^". The wounded and prisoners I ordered to be '^"'•
cnljcrled, an<l sent to tbe t^uard house. Jlhmd this time, ""^'^'^^^^^
whicJi 7vas between three and Jour o'clock in the afternoon^
Lieutenant-colonel Christie arrivedf and took the command,
lie or«Iered nie across tbe river to t^et my wounds dress-
ed. I remained a short time. Our flankin,!^ piirtios bad
been driven in by tlie Indians, but General WadswortU
and other officers arriving, we had a short skirmish witU
them, and they retreated, and I crossed the river.

<« The officers engaged in storming the battery were
Captains Wool and Ogilvie ; Lieutenants Kearney, Hu-
g'»nin, Carr and Sammons of the 13th regiment; Lieute-
nants Gansevoort and Randolph of the liglit artillery,
and Major Lush of the militia.

« I recommend to your particular notice Lieutenants
Randolph, Carr and Kearney, for their brave conduct
exhibited during the whole of the action.

« I have the honour to be,

« Your most ob't humble serv't,
"JOHN E. WOOL,

« Captain 13th Regt. Ivf.
*t Colonel S. Van Rensselaer."

The names of tUe officers who accompanied Colonel
Van Rensselaer on this hardy enterprize, deserve to bo
engraved on the scroll of fame, for surmounting obsta-
cles almost insuperable, in the face of a determined ene-
my, under a heavy fire; and dislodging and pursuing a
superior force, composed of two companies of the igth
British regiment, advantageously posted, with a body of
auxiliary militia and Indians : it was indeed a display of
intrepidity rarely exhibited, in which tlie conduct and the
execution were equally conspicuous. Here true valour,
so often mistaken for animal courage,* was attested by

• In the American service, temerity is too often taken for bravery ;

yet the distinction between them is as wide as beiwien blindness and

vision. Marshal Saxe, when a youth, was seen to court danger in tlie

battle of Jllalplaqnet, and afterwards at the siege of Bcihune in Flan-

VOL. 1. 4 D

578

MEMOIRS BY

CHAP.
XIII.

Reflec-
tions on
the affair
of Queens
town.

Conduct
of Presi-
dent Ma-
dison.

an appeal to the bayonet, which decided the conflict with-
out a shot. It must not be foi'j^'otten that 225 men ac-
complislied what 600 were intended to achieve; and the
reader will bear in mind, that with the single exception
of Colonel Van Rensselaer, it was the first military com-
bat in which either men or officers had been engaged. —
Under all the circumstances, and on the scale of the ope-
ration, the in)partial soldier and competent judge, will
name this brilliant affair a chef d'oeuvre of the war.

Yet we heard of no mark of distinction, no lionorary
promotions on the occasion; the efficacy of brevets had
not then been discovered, nor had it become necessary to
cover the disgrace of the cabinet, by raising up idols for
the adoration of the people ; but if the executive could for
a moment have forgotten that Gen. Van Rensselaer was
a federalist, and opposed to Governor Tompkins as a
candidate for the government of tiie state of New York,
his reluctance to render common justice to the principal
actors in this gallant scene, would have been counteract-
ed by the self evident policy, of exhibiting it to the coun-
try in its true light — by contrasting it with the melan-
choly tale of Detroit: thus dissipating the gloom that
Lung over the soldiery and the country, and shewing
them what deeds Americans were still capable of per-
forming. It is true, complete success did not ultimately
crown this enterprize; but two great ends were obtained
for the country — it re-established the character of the
American arms, and deprived the energy, by the death of
General Brock, of the best officer that has headed their
troops in Canada throughout the war, and with his loss
put an end to their then brilliant career.

I proceed to discharge a pleasing office, by stating
that the officers who accompanied Colonel Van Renssa-
laer, were Major of brigade Lush, of the militia; Lieute-
ijants Randolph and Gansevoort, volunteers from the

ders, for which he was complimented by the tribe of courtiers. This
drew from prince Eugene the following wholesome admonition: " La
temerite nq passera pas pour bravoure, vous ne devez pas les confon
jiiCj car le? connoisseurs ne s'y meprend^-ont pas."

GENERAL WILKINSON. 579

light artillery ; Lieutenant Ratlibonc of the licavy artil- chap.
Jci-yj Cai)tains Malcolm, Wool, Armstrong and Of^iivic, ^'"
and Lieutenants Kearney, Sammons, Carrand Ilugonin,
and Ensi.i^n Morris, of the loth infantry; of whom two
were killed and four were wounded. The conspicuous
gallantry of Lieutenant Randolph attracted the attention
(^ t/ie enemy, and excited the admiration of his brethren
in arms.

Things turned out exactly as General Van Rensselaer Movement
had anticipated. General SheaflTe, who succeeded to the mvfrom"^
command, on finding that the force at Queenstown had I'l'it
been routed, and General Brock killed, stripped Fort
George of its garrison, and leaving it in charge of the
ordinary guard, marched against the invaders; and if a
great part of the militia had not violated their promise,
and abandoned their duty, he might have been crush-
ed in fifteen minutes, and the peninsula would have
fallen into our hands. In this state of things, an ex-
perienced officer, on seeing SheafFe advance and file
off from the direct route towards St. David, by q g,* in
order to avoid a conflict in ascending the mountain,
would have met him at that point, where he could have
been repulsed with half numbers; or having made the
previous arrangement with his officers for the conpf as
soon as SheaflTe had reached St. David's, he would have
precipitated himself upon Fort George, by the direct
road; and leaving the enemy four or five miles in his
rear, could have taken the place before they could have suc-
coured it, and turned their own guns upon them. A sin-
gle reflection would have justified the attempt. — Without
retreat, the American detachment could not avoid an ac-
tion, and by tlie abandonment of the militia, were ex-
posed to defeat, from which the capture of Fort George
alone could save them. If they had failed in the attempt,
their misfortunes would not have been increased ; but the
chance was in their favour — they might gain much, and
could lose little.

• See Atlas» No. XV'.

580

MEMOIRS BY

CHAP.
XII L

By some persons Gen. Van Rensselaer was censured for
his conduct on this occasion ; but this was more the i-ffcct
of party animosity than any just j^roimd of condemnation.
In entering upon his command, u hen a rival of the Go\ er-
nor of the state for the succession to the government, he
evinced his disinterested patriotism, and exposed liinisoli"

Reflec-
tions on
tiie con-
duct of
General

selaerand to great hazard in point of reputation; f >r it is a fair
that of presumption, that it was not Governor Tompkins's in-

themililia. ' . ' . , ,. ^ ^ ^, ,, . , ,. . •

tcntion by the selection, to strengthen the imeresls ot Jus

opponent, as this gentleman, with a thousand amiable^ ho-
nourable and generous qualities, could not be expected to
commit political suicide. Advocate as t am for the yeo-
manry of my country, I can find no excuse for the con-
duct of the militia on that occasion. By imperiously de-
manding the attack on Queenstown, they virtually
pledged themselv^es to support it. The attack was made,
but their pledge remained unredeemed ', it is in vain that
v,e search for the cause.

The army on the strait of Niagara could have been
assembled for offence only : therefore General Van R^ns-
selaer, in making tlie attack, fulfilled the obligations
of duty and the views of the government. The ad-
joining return* taken from official documents, will shew
tliat his force was more tlian sufficient for the occasion;
and if blamable at all, it was in yielding to the alternative

ReUirn of the Troops under the command of JMajor-genernl Stephen
Van Rensselaer of the JVeiu York jytilitia. Head Quarters, LewistoivTit
October 12lh, 1812.

1

BRIGADES.

Where stationed.

Total

present for

duty.

Remarks.

Brig. Gen. Miller's
Lu Col. John R. Fenwick's
Lt Col. P. Swift's, and?
Lt. Col. S. Hopkins's 3
Bng. Gen Wadsworth's
Brig-. Gen Smylh's
Li. Col. Christie's

Lewistown
Lewistown
Black Rock and

Buflfaloe
Lew IS' own
Black Rock
Lewistown

588
550

386

1682

1650

350

Militia
Rtgulars

Militia

Militia

Rc.ulars

Regulars

5206

GENERAL WILKINSON. 681

ptcsontcd to Iiirn by liis fellow citizens and fellow soldiers, CtiAiv

bilore ills preparations satisfied his own .jdrlgment ; yet '^"'

under the actual rircunistanres of the operation, as far as

they have reached my knowledge, if the militia had been

laitldul to tlieir enga.e;ements, and true to themselves, the

wlntle mij?ljt have passed the strait before the arrival of

the British column imdcr General Sheaffe ; whom they

nii.i;lit have cut off from Fort George, and captured or

destroyed, after wiiich, the surrender of the fort woidd

have become a matter of form.

Gen. Van Rensselaer resiajned his command soon after General

this affair, and was succeeded by Brisr. Gen. Smvth, who „ f" *!."*
' J a . ' si lacr re-

seems to have commenced a zealous, but short-lived ca- signs his

scenes ensued which excited much popular j^^.a issue-
interest, but of these my information docs not warrant a ceeded by
single important fact; were I however to hazard an opi- smyih.
nion, it should be that his designs were patriotic, but that Maltreat-
his ardour obscured liis judgment, and that he was more the latter
indiscreet tlian cidpable; he was embarrassed extremely o^cer by

* ' "" President

from the insudicicncy of his supplies, and the conflicts of Madiiwni

avarice against his efforts to provide from other sources;
not so with President Madison — who had placed General
Smyth in trust, yet suffered him to be condemned with-
out a hearing, notwithstanding his earnest solicitations
for an inquiry. 1 trust I shall be supported in the senti-
ment, that neither poverty nor misfortune, should bar
the portals of justice against any citizen of these states,
and that the magistrate who permits it, is unworthy of
public favour or public confidence, and disgraces his
station.

The next incident worthy of note, and of which I feel
myself autliorised to take a summary view, is the affair
oi' Sa :ketl*s Harbour, which occurred on the i29th May,
1813. Wlien Major-gene»'al Dearborn sailed from that
place against York in Upper Canada, he requested Bri-
gadier-general Brown of the New York militia, to take
the command; and this request was secnnded by Lieute-
nant-colonel Bacl^us of the 1st light dragoons, the senior
officer at the Harbour. General Brown accordingly

58a

MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, took the command on the morning of the 28th, and ths

XIII

same day the enemy's squadron from Kingston, drove in
Lieutenant Cliauncey who commanded a look-out vessel,
and soon after appeared off the Harbour with a number
of boats, making indications of an intention to landj but it
seems they were diverted from this purpose, by the ap-
pearance of a number of batteaux, approaching coastwise
with troops from Oswego, a number of which were driven
on shore, and some of the men taken ; after which the
squadron came to anchor between Horse Island and Sto-
ney Point.

The garrison of the place, at that time, consisted of a
detacbment made up from the 1st regiment of light dra-
goons, the light and heavy artillery, the 9th, 21st, and
£3d infantry, and a party of United States volunteers, of
which the following, with the exception of the volunteers,
is a correct return.

^ Report of the number of oncers and men brought into action at Sack-
ett^s Harbour, May 29th, 1813.

w

i

z

c

rn

"

i

«

«i

.I;

c

Corps.

a

a

O

C

o

5f

s-

(J

2
'3

1

si

o

Remarks.

1

2

6

1

1

8

26

31

4

1

1

7

1

£-1

Lt. Dragoons

223

313

Lt. ArtiUlery

4

5

4

1

120

134

Heavy ditto

1

7

8

9th & 21st Inf.

1

2

1

9

19

26

4

236

298

2,3d Inf.

2

1

3

28

34

Volunteers

1

o

8

2

1

24

51

64

4

1

1

12

614

1

No return.

Total

787

THOMAS ASPINWALL, Major, 9ih.

But the volunteers under Lieutenant-colonel Mills, of
whom I have no return, may be reckoned at 1 lieutenant-
colonel, 1 major, 6 captains, 6 lieutenants, an adjutant,
and about 150 non-commissioned officers and privates,
w hose numbers were increased in the course of the 28th,
by the adjacent militia, to about 500 men. The volun-
teers had in the first instance been stationed on Horso

(GENERAL WILKINSON. 588*.

Island, to oppose a naval invasion, but were withdrawn ; (;ii\F».
and bclbic day liglit, on the morning of tlie 29t!i, this ^'"'
body of 500 yeomen, under the immediate orders of the
General, were posted behind a sharp ridji^c of soil, sa»\d
and gravel, thrown up by the surge of the lake near 0*,
the volunteers being on the right near the cabin c, and
the militia on their left and inclining to the rear, with
one or two jrleces oj' artillery near the beach, southward of
the bar, which connects tlie island with the main ; but
there was neither ditch, nor barbette nor convert battery of
any kiiul. The regular recruits, under Lieutenant-colo-
nel Backus, were formed near their camp adjoining the
village, at a mile distanc^v^witli the intervention of a
forest, and therefore could not in any military sense, be
called a secondline; indeed the line of volunteers and mili-
tia at the water's edge (routed to the northward, and that
of the regulars, looked to the southward. In the twilight
the enemy were perceived approaching Garden Island^
2 or 3 miles from the shore, and after firing several can-
non and making some equivocal demonstrations, as to their
point of debarkation, they directed their course around
Horse Island in «a, landing a light party on the island,
and advanced with their boats, directly to the spot where
the volunteers and militia lay concealed ; on turning the
northern point of the island, they cheered, fired a heavy
gun or two from their armed boats, and pressed on to ii;
and when they had approaciicd within sixty yards, the mi-
litia rose up, fired a volley, and all fled in confusion, by o
0 0, and the bridle way g g, excepting about eighty men,
who were rallied by Captain M'Knitt, a valiant o*Kcer,
and took post behind a large fallen tree, at J, in the
rear of a small field c c, where they were joined by
General Brown, and exchanged three or four rounds
with the enemy as they debarked j but being pressed by
superior numbers, they followed their companions, ac-
companied by the General, whose whole attention after-
wartis appears to have been directed, to the re-assembly
and formation oUtis fugitives, somewhere about the spot in.

f See Atlas, No. X.

58^j MEMOIRS BY

cn\P. So far my information is derived from General Brovvu
^"' himself, ^ivon to me on the spot, in the presence of Go-
^^^""^"^^ vernor Lewis, in August, 1813 ; hut it will be seen that
this account is void of truth, and that the volunteers under
Lieutenant-colonel Mills, seconded by Major Herkimer,
fired three rounds upon the enemy and did not retreat,
until they were within tlirce rods, and then by order of
the command iiig officer after the desertion of the militia.
It will also appear in the following sheets, that the gal-
lant little corps skirmished with the enemy, as they fell
lack upon the left of the regular troops, under Lieute-
nant-colonel Backus, where they formed and fought to
the termination of the combat. And the statements which
follow, are founded on the reports of several of the gen-
tlemen who were engaged on that day, and are I believe
in the main correct.

After the flight of the militia, the enemy completed
their debarkation, formed column, sent out flankers and
advanced slowly by a narrow wagon road,//, flanked on
the riglit by a thick wood, and on the left by a perpen-
dicular bank of ten or fifteen feet. They were engaged
in their advance by the volunteers and by Major Laval,
with the dismounted dragnons, and other parties from the
regular troops, who skirmished and necessarily fell back
before unequal numbers,- as soon as the enemy reached the
cleared ground r r r, they displayed in n n, and attacked
the regular troops with vigour, then formed in I n; the
dragoons on the right in or behind a ditch, which had
been cut as a drain to the lake, the infantry on the left,
in front of the west end of the barracks, /; fc, and the vo-
lunteers fell in on tlie left of the whole. The enemy press-
ed forward with their wonted gallantry, and in the first in-
st»nce, directed their chief efforts against the dragoons,
and were repulsed ; the attack was renewed again and
again without making any general impression on the Ame-
rican line ; at length, w hen the combatants appeared to be
balancing, and a party of Americans had given way, and
had thrown themselves into the open log barrack, x, from
whence they galled the enemy ; Captain Gray, acting de-

GENERAL AVILKIXSON. 585

puty quarter- master general of the cxpcflilion, made an (jiiap,
intrepid push at tliis barrack and fell witliin 15 yards ol it, ^"'
and soon al'ter tlie enemy retreated in disorder.* Here llic
finger of Heaven was displayed in our protecti(»n, for
however resolute the conduct of our recruits, they were
nearly exhausted, .^and were outnumbered ; and if tlic
enemy had persevered twenty minutes longer, the sloop
of war General Pike, and our depot at Sackctt's Har-
bour would have fallen into their hands.

This was a close contest of riear an hour, higlily ho-
nourable to the arms of the United States; for if our
accounts of the enemy's force may he relied on, in-
ferior numbers of raw recruits, who had never looked
an enemy in the face, and a small party of volunteers,
not only kept their ground against veteran troops, but
repulsed them with loss and disgrace. I rcsj)ect the
character and feelings of every honourable soldier,
(there never should be a dishonourable one,) and there-
fore in applying the last expression, I place my jus-
tification in the circumstance of wounded men and offi-
cers being left on the field, when there was no pursuit.

But in describing the conduct of this engagement, jus- Cencra!
tice to those who won and deserve to wear the laurels, as confj^ill-r
well as my respect for truth, oblige me to pronounce that '" V^^
Brigadier-general Brown did not share the perils or the
honour of the combat, and that he took no direction of
the regular troops, until the enemy had retreated, when
he rode up, and triumphantly claimed the command.

I have had these facts from so many oflicers who were
in that action, that I cannot question their truth, and for
testimony will refer to the courageous veteran. Colonel

• I have understood from good authority, that Sir George Pretest,
who was in the rear, ordered the retreat, when Lieutenant-colonel
Brummond of the 104th, wlio was afterwards killed at Fort Erie,
stepped up to him and observed, " allow me a lew minutes, Sir, and
I will put you in possession of the place," to which. Sir George re-
plied, "obey your orders. Sir, and learn the first duly of a soldier."
Sir James Yeo was also averse to the retreat, und iho uccasion griyc
rise to the animosity which afterwards existed betweeo those officers,
and drew on Sir George the contempt of t^e army.
VOL. I. i> E

585 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. Laval, and that independent, gallant, honourable gentlc-
^1.^.„|^ man, Captain Haig, late of the 1st dragoons, who, as well
as other oflicers, has, I understand, even questioned the
courage of the commander in chief on that occasion.

Tiiis was a memorable day, and a triumphant one
also. The stake contended for was Immense; for if the
enemy had prevailed, and the sloop of war Pike had been
destroyed, we must have taken a long farewel of the supe-
rioiity on Lake Ontario. I therefore can find no excuse
for the conduct of President Madison, whom we have since
beheld dissipating with prodigality all the honours he
could bestow, without distinction of talents, integrity or
worth, until men of honour have been disgusted; — the at-
tributes of rank have lost their distinction, grades have
been confounded, and an officer hardly knows his sta-
tion, whether upon the right or the left. Pardon me ! —
We did hear of one extraordinary mark of honour, to
render sacred the commemoration of that day; it was the

tJeneial appointment of Jacob Brown, esq. to the grade of a Bri-
Biown's ,. , 1 , , o 1 ••/-«•

promo- gadier-gencral, over the heads ot the meritorious Coviiig-

t'on. top J auj the colonels of the whole army ; and tlius the

reward due to tiie memory of Lieutenant-colonel Backus,
to Major Herkimer and his volunteers, and to Majors
Aspinwall, Laval and Lucket,* with their gallant as-
sociates. Captains Ilayne, Haig, Crooker, H«*lms and
Halsey, Lieutenants Kcan, Birch, Laval, and a long
list of brave and honourable men, whose names I know

^ not, were conferred on a man who did not possess a

good social character, a 7io^onoMS smu^^jfer, from whom
the soldier of pride, and men of sensibility and ho-
nour are now obliged to receive orders — and for what?
Was it for running away with the militia, and aban-
doning his artillery ?f — for herein is comprised all the
military merits of the chief, on that day, which i can
discover ! ! ! These are thy works — this thy measure of

* He had his horse killed under him.

t Sir George Prevost in his general order claims three pieces ©f
artillerv.

GENERAL ^VILKINSON. Qgy

justice — 0 President Madison; for which posterity uill CHAP.

remember lliee. ^"'•

'J'lie wretclied state in which I found the army and all .... .

•' I he cir-

ifs departments and dependencies, on my arriviil at Sack- cum-

cti'8 Harbour, laic in August, 1813, after a journey of ^^J'^j'"*

ISOO miles, from the south, will he exposed in detail in ^^'"cli

*i ii • I I r> <i • 1 I 11 I • ^Vllkl^soT^

the tliird volume ol these memoiis ; and when all thecir- assumed

cuiiistances are candidly examined, I trust it will appear ^•''^ *^.'^'^-
to impartial posterity, that I performed my duty with
zeal and fidelity; and with as much effect as could be ex-
pected from ah ofticer the prey of a grievous and unre-
lenting diseas<\ i had been opposed to the conduct of the
war, and was now opposed to the project of the campaign,
but my judgment was controlled by the anterior decision
of the cabinet. Ambition, a zeal for the service, and a
reliance on my good fortune and resource, outweighed
the cautious councils of circumspection, and I entered
upon the command, in opposition to the admonition of my
most faithful friends. I was aware of the dire responsibi-
lity which the public sentiment had created, but felt my-
self armed against consequences, by the prcsuni])tuous
conclusion, that if I did not succeed, I could escape the
censures of the inconsiderate and malignant, by the sa-
crifice of my life. I was unconscious of the impiety of
the reflection, which I deplore, and for which I received
the chastisement of a just God, wiio so disposed things
as to prevent the one and the other.

On arriving at Sackctt's Harbour, from Fort George, His state
in October, I was convinced my debility rendered me in- °n(|'i|)ljt^
capable of the salutary exercise of military command; of the
but I could not absolve myself from it, without the for- ferTe/u'i.
feiturcof my commission. I again permitted my judgment
to be overruled, and while confined to my bed, suffered
myself, without a suspicion of the circumstances, to be
embarked with a corps charged with deleterious matter,
generated by poisonous provisions, which was sooji c«>n-
Tertcd into a mass of floating disease;* and when the ^

* See the testimony of Colonel Walbach, vol. iii, and the report of
Dr. W. M. Ross, in the appendix same volume.

SjSb

MEMOIRS BY

CHAP.
XIII.

General

Deai-boni

confines

some

British

prisoners

us iK)S-

tages-

time airived, wheicin one hour of vigorous health would
have sufficed to seize on victory or to consummate my pre-
sumptuous conclusion, I found myself prostrate, reduced to
infantile weakness, and whilst 1 trembled over the verge of
the grave, I was incapable of seeking an honourable death;
yet although I was deceived and abandoncdf the army vvas
saved, and reached the French Mills without material in-
jury hut from disease, and I boldly assert for the corps,
that they, at least, lost no honour.

It is not within the compass of these memoirs, to de-
tail the difficidties, hardships and sufferings, incident to
the maintenance of a cordon of sixty miles, on the bor-
bers of an enemy of superior force, and under a Cana-
dian winter J but it is due to my own character and to
public information, that I should in this pi ace make cer-
tain developcments, which may otherwise sink into obli-
vion, and will not I hope be unacceptable to the reader.

The enemy having set up the pretension, that certain
persons taken in arms at Queenstown, were either British
sul)jects or deserters from their ranks, and having sent
them to England for trialj Gen. Dearborn, by order of the
executive, threw an equal nunber of British prisoners of
war into close confinement, as hostages for the safety of the
prisoners taken at Queenstovvnj and avowed his determi-
nation to Sir George Prevost, to inflict on those hostages
tiie same punishment, which the British government
might impose on the prisoners taken from us, whose
lives had been menaced. In consequence of these pro-
ceedings, the following correspondence took place.

« H. Q. Montreal, Oct. ±7th, 1813.

" Sir,

Coires- « Having transmitted to his majesty's government, a

on'that copy of a letter addressed to me on the 3 1st May last, by
occasion. Major-general Dearborn, in which it is stated that the
American commissary of prisoners in London, had made
it known to his government, that twenty-three soldiers of
the 1st, 16th, and JSth regiments of infantry, made pri-
soners, had been sent to England, and held in clpse cojj-

GENERAL ^VILKINSON. 589

fineincnt as British subjects, and that Major-general cuw:
Dearborn had received instructions from his government ^"'
to put into close confinement twenty-tliree British sol-
diers, to be kept as hostages for the safe keeping and
restoration in exchange of the soldiers of the United
Stales, who had been sent as above stated to England,
and that in obedience to those instructions, General Dear-
born had put twenty-three British soldiers in close con-
Anement, to be kept as hostages.

" I have the honour of acquainting you, that I have
received the instructions of his majesty's government,
distinctly to state to you, for the information of the go-
vernment of the United States, tiiat I iiave received the
commands of his royal highness the Prince Regent,
forthwith to put in close confinement, forty-six Ameri-
can officers and non-commissioned oflicers, to be held as
hostages for the safe keeping of the twenty-three British
soldicrjj, stated to have been put in close confinement by
order of the American government.

« I have been directed, at the same time, to apprise
you, that if any of the said British soldiers shall suffer
death, by reason that any of the said soldiers of the
United States, now under confinement in England, have
been found guilty, and that the known law, not only of
Great Britain but of every independent state, under si-
milar circumstances, has been executed, that I have been
further instructed to select out of the American officers
and non-commissioned officers whom I shall have put
into confinement, as many as may double the number of
British soldiers who shall have been so unwarrantably
put to death, and to cause such officers and non-commis-
sioned officers to suffer death immediately. I have been
further instructed by his majesty's government to notify
to you, for the information of the government of the
United States, that the commanders of his majesty's ai*-
mies and fleets on the coast of America, have received
instructions to prosecute the war with unmitigated seve-
rity, against all cities, towns, and villages belonging to
tlie United States, and against the inhaT)itants thereof, if

xin.

^96 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, after this communication shall have been made to you,
and a reasf>nable time given for its being transmitted to
the American government, that government shall unhap-
pily not be deterred from putting to death any of the sol-
diers who now are, or who may hereafter be kept as hos-
tagts for the purposes stated in the letter from Major-
general Dearborn.

« I have the honour to be,

<* With great consideration and respect,
« Your excellency's ofa't humble scrv'tj
** GEORGE PREVOST,

« LL Gen. <^ Com* of the Forces*
«« Ms Excellency Gen. Wilkinson,

Commanding the Forces of the U. S."

Extract of a letter from General Wilkinson to Sir George
Prevostt dated Head Quarters of the Jlrmij of the United
States, Grenadier Island, JSTov. 1st, 1813.

« Sir,

«♦ I yesterday evening had the honour to receive your
letter of the 17th instant, and shall immediately trans-
mit a copy of it to the executive of the United States.

« I forbear to animadvert on the acts of our superiors
whatever may be their tendency, but you must pardon
me. Sir George, for taking exception to an expression in
your letter ; the government of the United States cannot
be « deterred" by any considerations of life, of death, of
depredation or conflagration, from the faitiiful perform-
ance of its duty to the American nation."

<( War Office, JS'^oremher 17th, 1813.
« Sir,

*' In the absence of the secretary of war, I am com-
manded by the President to instruct you to make known
to Sir George Prevo.st, in answer to his letter of October
37 th, and for the information of his government, that the

GENERAL AVILKINSON. S91

government of tlie United States, adhering unalterably to criAP.
the principle and purpose declare*! in the communication ^"'
ol' G.-nt-ral Dearborn to liim, on tlie subject of the twen-
tj-three American soldiers prisoners of war, sent to Eng-
land to be tried as criminals, and the covjinemcnt of a like
nnmber of Britisli soldiers prisoners of war, selected to
abide the fate of the former; has in consequcn* c of the step
taken by the British government, as now communicated^
ordered forty-six British officers into close conjincment,
uho will be immediately put to death, in case of the put-
ting to death of the forty-six American offif-ers and non-
commissioned officers ordered into close coiifinement ; and
that they will not be discharged from their confinement,
until it shall be known that the forty-six American offi-
cers and non-commissioned officers in question are no
longer coiifined.

" You are also to make known to Sir George Prevost,
for the information of his government, that in the event
of any proceedings of the Britisli commanders on our
coast, against the < ities, towns, or villages of the United
States, or against the inhabitants thereof, contrary to the
laws of war, observed among civilised nations, as threat-
ened in his communication of the 27th of October; the
United States will avail themselves of the means in their
power, for such exemplary retaliations, as may produce
a return to those legitimate modes of warfare, from which
no other consideration than the necessity imposed by the
<:onduct of the enemy could ever induce them to depart.
« With great respect,

<« 1 have the honour to be,

« Sir, your most obedient,
«< Humble servant,

** DAJNIEL PARKER, C. C.

<* Major-general Wilkinsonf

Commanding the northern armijf II. S,^*

593 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. Extract of a letter from Major-general James Wilkinsony

^^,.^^* dated Head Quarters of the army of the United States,

MalonCf December 5d, 1813, ^o his excellency Sir George

Prevostf Lieutenant-general and Commander in Chief of

the British forces in JVorth America.

« Sir,

« In my letter to you of the 1st ultimo, I apprised you,
that your communication of the 17th Octoher last, had
been transmitted to the President of the United States,
and I have now the honour to lay before you the result.

" In a recent communication from the war depart-
ment, I am commanded by the President, to make known
to you, in reply to your letter and for the information of
your government, « that the government of the United
States, adhering unallerably to the principle, and pur-
pose declared in the communication of General Dearborn
to you, on the subject of the twenty-three American sol-
diers, prisoners of war, sent to England to be tried as
criminals, and the confinement of a like number of Bri-
tish soldiers, prisoners of war, selected to abide the fate of
the former, has in consequence of the step taken by the
British government, as now communicated, ordered for-
ty-six British officers into close confinement, who will be
immediately put to death, in case of the putting to death
of the forty-six American officers and non-commissioned
officers, ordered into close confinement; and that they will
ijot be discharged from their confinement until it shall be
known, that the forty-six American officers and non-com-
missioned officers in question are no longer confined." I
am further commanded by the President to advise you,
for the information of your government, " that in the
event of any proceedings of the British commanders on
our coast, against the inhabitants thereof, contrary to
the laws of war, observed among civilised nations, as
threatened in your communication of the 17th of Octo-
ber, the United States will avail themselves of the means
in their power, for such exemplary retaliations, as may

GENKRAL M7LKINS0N. 593

j)ro(lnrc a return to those legitimate modes of warfai-r, cri \P.
from wliich no other consideration, than the necessity im- ^Jl|^
pc^ed by the conduct (»f the enemy, could ever induce
them to depart."

« Without the power to avert the calamitous scenes,
which must ensue the jM-ctensioiis (.f your .c^overnment to
violate a constitutional ])riu(i|)h', lield sacred hy the
American nation : and without examiniu;^ the effects of
tliis pretension, should it he retorted by the American
t^ovcrnment against the population of Upper Canada,
composed as it is in a j-reat n>easure of native born Ame-
rifari citizens; I am impelled hy the impidscs of huma-
nity, to inquire, whether some relaxation may not be ex-
pected oil the part of your government, and whether the
oflicers and non-commissioned oflicers thrown into gaol
at Quebec, may not he restored to the ordinary condition
of prisoners of war."

Extract of n letter from Sir George Prcvost, Lieutenant,
general and Commander in Chief of the British forces in
Mrth America, dated Head quarters, Montreah Decem-
ber Uth, 1813, to Major-General B'dkinson.

« I had the honour to receive your excellency's des-
patches of the Vth instant. In communicating to your
excellency, in my letter of tlie 17th October last, the re-
taliating measure, which his majesty's government had
been compelled to adopt, in consequence of the imprison-
ment by Major-general Dearborn, «)f twenty-three Bri-
tish soldiers" as hostages, for as many natural born sub-
jects of his majesty, found in the service of the United
States in arms against their native country, I had enter-
tained the hope, that the American government would
have been induced to abandon the principle, not recog-
nised by any other civilised nation of the world, and
against which, when attempted to be put in practice,
they have all invariably protested.
vol. I. 4 F

59* MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. it I regret to find myself disappointed in this just ex-
^"*' pectation, by the communication made by your excellen-
' cy, of the determination of your government unalterably
to adhere to the principle and purpose, declared in tlic
letter of IMajor-general Dearborn, of the 31st May last,
and of its bavins; in consequence, directed forty-six Bri-
tish officers, prisoners of war, to be closely confined until
the forty-six American officers and non-commissioned
officers, now closely confined at Quebec as hostages,
shall be released.

« This step on tlie part of the government of tbe Unit-
ed States, leaves mo no other alternative but that of
directing, and wiiich I have accordingly done, the whole
of the American officers (including the three general offi-
cers) now on their parole in tiiese provinces, to be imme-
diately placed in close confinement j and I have further
to acquaint your excellency, that it is my determination
to put into close confinement every American officer who
shall hereafter fall into my power, to the number of for-
ty-six, inclusive of those who had been confined previous
to the receipt of your excellency's letter, and so to keep
them confined, until I shall receive the further directions
of his majesty's government on this subject.

<* The unalterable determination of your government
to adhere to the principle it has adopted on this occasion,
precludes the hope of any relaxation, in favour of the
unfortunate officers of both countries, who are, and who
will be suffeiers by it. Otherwise alike impelled by sen-
timents of humanity with yourself, I should be inclined
to ask of you, whether that constitutional principle,
which however sacred it may be lield by the American
nation, yet violating as it docs, the constitutional princi-
ple of every other independent nation, adopted and acted
upon for ages, before the American government or people
had a name, ought any longer to be respected in favour of
those who, having broken their faith and allegiance to
their own government, are claimed and protected by
your's, with the sacrifice of the comfort and safety of
your own native born subjects, and whether considera-

GENERAL WILKINSON. /595

tions like these are not sufficiently strong, to indticc tlic ciiAi'.
.tjovcrnrncnt of tlie United States, to restore to the ordi- ^"'•
nary condition of prisoners of war, the British officers ^'^"^'^^^
and soldiers wliom they have directed to be put into close
confinement."

Extract of a letter from Major-general James Wilkhison to
Sir George Prevostf baronet. Commander in Chief of his
Britannic majesty's forces in JVorth America, dated De-
cember 20th, 1813.

« Sir,

" Your excellency's letter of the 11th instant reached
my out post, on Chateaugay, the evening of the IStli, and
came to my hands yesterday. I regret the resolution
you have adopted, in respect to the retaliatory system
forced on the executive of tlie United States, by the resus-
citation of dormant pretensions, which had ceased for a
long time to torment mankind, and which, (your excel-
lency will pardon the observation) have not been « inva-
riably" asserted by tlie British government; several in-
stances might be quoted to support the fact, hut I will
trespass the remarkable case of tlie late Major-general
Charles Lee only, on your excellency's attention, be-
cause it is most directly in point : sometime after the
capture of that officer by Colonel Harcourt, his exchange
was demanded by Congress and refused by the British
commander, on the express grounds for which you now
contend ; in consequence of which. Lieutenant-colonel
Campbell, of the 7 1st regiment, and five Hessian field
officers were thrown into ignominious confinement as
hostages for his safety, and liere the contest terminated ;
the British government yielding its iwetensions and ad-
mitting General Lee to be exchanged as an ordinary pri-
soner of war. But while I deplore the course you have
marked out for your conduct, I should fail in courtesy if
I did not acknowledge my obligations to you, for the
candid avowal of your intentions, in respect to the Ame-
rican officers, who may hereafter fall into your hands:

596

MEMOIRS BY

CHAl'
XIII.

as this avowal will I flatter mjseif constitute their sate-
^ guard against imprisonment. I thank your excellency,
lor the reference you Hiake to tlie recent admission of the
American nation into the great family of mankind ; the
reflection excites a sense of jjroud exultation in the
breast of every man who took part in the contest, and
witnessed the rise, progress, and termination of a revo-
lution, which made t.'ic thirteen British colonies free and
independent; hut if errors, founded on ages of Gothic
barharism, and afilictivc to humanity, have prevailed an-
terior to the independence of those colonies, they cannot
be too soon corrected, and very much is to be expected
from the unalterable adherence of the American govern-
ment to the resolution it has taken ; for as all things are
perishable, and the affairs of man ever on the change,
before this nation shall have reached its zenitii, the go-
vernments of Europe, following the destinies of ancient
Rome and Greece, of Carthage and the kingdoms of the
east, will sink beneath the weight of tlieir own infirmi-
ties; and doctrijies derived from Roman bondage and
feudal vassalage, will, like the office of the vidames be-
come extinct and be forgotten."

The con-
troversy
termi-
nates.

I have never been able to ascertain to my satisfaction,
how the baronet and the President adjusted this afflsir,
after the tenacity avowed on both sides, or who it was
that made the first concession ; though I rejoiced at the
termination of a controversy, which menaced the lives of
innocent, honourable men, and tended to renovate scenes
of barbarism, which would disgrace the civilised world.
Under the good temper and happy auspices on which the
negociatioKS at Ghent were conducted, could a fair and
final adjustment of the contested claims of naturalization
and citizenship have been accomplished, it would have
put at ease many an unquiet breast; but alas! like the
tale of " free trade and sailor's rights," this subject too
had been deferred.

As soon as I had recovered such a state of convales-
cence, as enabled nic to .sustain the motiojis of a sleigh

GENERAL WILKINSON. 997

and bear the freezing temperature of the clime, [ deter- chap.
mined to enterprise against the enemy's posts. My fust '^'"•
plan was to break up his quarters from Chateauguy to ^^ jj. ^
St. John's, and to take permanent hold of Cornwall, in p'^ns :.n
order to cut the communication between the lower and ^^ ^J "^'
upper provinces, and prevent the transmission of tlie can- eucn.y's
jion and naval stores, which were about to be forwarded picscoit
from Montreal to Kingston, for the vessels then on the
stocks at that posi j but I was diverted from these objects,
by the failure of the contractor to supply provisions, and
determined to remedy the disappointment, by striking at
the post of Prescott, a weak place which required 800
men for its defence, but was garrisoned by 250 only.

Pursuant to these objects I determined to consult his
excellency Governor Tompkins, and, should he approve
the plan, know what assistance he could furnish ; but
previous to my departure from the frontier, I gave Bri-
gadier-general Brown, who commanded at the French
Mills, the following precautionary and preparatory or-
ders, and wrote the following letter to the secretary of
war.

** Head Q^iiarters, J\Ialone, Jan. 8th, 1814.
*< Dear Sir,

" I shall to-morrow move to Chateaugay, and from
thence to Plattsburgh, to examine the condition of those
posts, and to discover whether the enemy meditate an at-
tack on the latter place; pending my absence 1 shall reJy
on your caution and vigilance to protect the post, of your
immediate command, against any attempt of the enemy ;
and for this purpose, every approach in front, flank or
rear, direct or devious, should be incessantly watched by
guards and light scouts or patroles ; take care of the va-
rious communications by Trout river, because as they
lead to your rear and are least suspected, they may be
selected by the enemy as the must favourable to a coup
demain.

" I shall give the oflicer couimanding at Chateaugay,
orders to keep you constantly advised of his situation.

598 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, and of every cii'cumstance interesting to the service,
^"^' which raay fall under his notice; should he ask you for
succour against the enemy, you will necessarily give it
seasonably and to the utmost extent whieh may consist
with your own safety, and he will be pointedly instructed
to reciprocate services on the same principle.

<< Our wounded with the enemy I understand are in
need of a surgeon and of clothing.

" I will request your particular attention to these ob-
jects, as the health of the men and the character of the
government, depend on our attentions to them. The
clothing will be subject to your disposal, and you will be
pleased to order it to Cornwall, in charge of Doctor
Rogers, who may be accompanied by a paymaster ta
furnish the men the arrearages due, or the surgeon may
be charged with this business.

*' During my absence you will necessarily and with
due caution, receive the flags of the enemy and make such
communications to them, as the public service or the in-
tcrersts of our citizens may render necessary.

*« I conjure you to urge the necessity of the equipments
for the heads, hands and the feet of the men ; and to have
them prepared for hardy enterprise. You will be pleas-
ed to order Doctor Mann to be reimbursed the sum he
has paid for leather to make overshoes, and I entreat of
you to have the number increased, by the combined in-
dustry of the workmen of the line, and on the most eco-
nomical terms.

<« Intelligence, the soul of military enterprise, must
claim your utmost attention, not only the designs of the
enemy, but their posts, garrisons and cantonments in re-
lation to fortifications, strength and numbers, must be
ascertained as far as it is practicable.

" I have received information from Montreal direct,
the 6th instant, the day before yesterday ; the front of the
cannon intended for Kingston will leave La Chine the
irth instant, and is to move in detachment by tens. It
is to be drawn by horses and oxen. You must be on the
alert, and if you can learn when they pass the river Rai-

GENEKAli WILKJNSON. 599

sin, it is wortliy the liazard to endeavour to get posses- chap.
sion of them, and to destroy or bring tliem off; the dLs- ^''"
tancc from your cantonment is about 9 miles, i. e. six '"^"^'^^^
down Salmon river and three across the St. Lawrence ;
in sleighs it may be run in an hour and a half; and 5 or
600 select men, with two field pieces, will suiiicc for the
enterprise, which may be pressed or abandoned at tlie
discretion of the commanding officer, who should be cau-
tioned strictly, not to commit his detachment to be cut up
by a superior force, and this he may easily prevent, as
the country is open, the route is free in all directions,
and his movements will be rapid. Trustworthy guides
should be provided, and 1 offer the opinion, that the
movement should be made just in season to reach the
point of destination at the dawn of day. I need not sug-
gest to you, the vital impoi'tance of secresy on this and
all other points of confidential communication.

" I have the honour to be, respectfully, Sir,
"Your obedient obedient,

"JA. WILKINSON.
*< Brigadief -general Broivn.-*

[confidential.]

" Malone, January 9th, 1814. — Morning.
" Sir,

« I last night received advice from Montreal of the
6th. The cannon are to move by tens, and will be drawn
by horses and oxen. The front is to leave La Chine
the 17th, ^^,« consequence of whicii I have ordered
Brigadier-general Brown to enterprise, under due pre-
cautions, and have advised Colonel Smith at Sackett's
Harbour to hold a detachment in readiness. Captain
Little, of St. Lawrence county, with his com})any, are
ordered to scatter themselves from Massena to Hamilton,
alo!)g the river, and to strike should an occasion present,
otherwise to fly to the aid of the detachment of Colonel
Smith, whic h will have Chapin and A. Smith for guides.
You have under cover an extract of my letter of instruc-

coo MEMOIRS BY

^xm' *^**"^ *^ General Brown, who is active, ardent and intcl-
^^.^^^^ ligent. Though too feeble for the journey, I have deter-
mined to see Governor Tompkins, and shalJ set out at
noon, to give him a private interview at Ballstown. I
sliall travel on the runners of a wood sled, on which a box
is placed to receive my bed, for I am imaMe to keep my
seat more than ten miles. If my health continues, I shall
not be absent more than ten or twelve days at most.

« You have under cover, a first essay at the theatre
before me; it is incorrect in course and distance, but will
serve to give you a general idea of the enemy's posts and
cantonments.
*< With perfect respect, I have the honour to be,
*' Your obedient servant,
(Signed) i^JA. WILKINSON.

« The Hon. John Armstrong,
Secretary of War,"

Jvi^elT ^ *''^" Pi'oceeded by Plattsburgh and Burlington to
to Water, ^^aterford under the pretence of ill health, and on my
arrival I wrote the following letter to the secretary of

ford.

war.

« Waterford, Sunday morning, Jan. 16th, 1814.
« Sir,

« I left Chateaugay the 10th and arrived here this
morning, having been detained a day and a half at Platts-
burg. On my route I fell in with Mr, Anderson, the
contractor ; whose prospects of a supply of flour from the
borders of Lake Champlain, and this quarter of the coun-
try are so faint, that we must until the opening of spring,
depend for that article on the western parts of this states
not only for the posts of the French Mills and Chateau-
gay, but I fear in some measure for that of Plattsbur"-
also; and our distance from the settlements of Black
river, the Oswego, and Mohawk, to which we are to look
for support, combined to other causes, depending on the
season, leave us no expectation of being able to accumu-
late such magazines, as may justify our taking post with-

GENERAL WILKINSON. 601

in the territory of the enemy as Jieretofore proposed ; in- chap.
deed my personal observations and inquiries made on the ^"'
road I have travelled, and reports just received by (iene-
ral Swartwout of our prospects from the westward, Jus-
tify the apprehension that we shall be barely able to sub-
sist the troops from day to day.

" In this situation, instead of advancing on the enemy,
we are in danger of being compelled to rctrognidc for
subsistance, and as it would almost destroy the troops to
erect second cantonments at this inclement season, with
the approbation of government, I will endeavour to find
quai-ters for tliem in Prescott and Kingston ; which [ con-
sider practicable to a corps of hai'dihood and resolution,
aided by the facility of movement to be derived from
sleds.

"Charge me not with caprice for thus varying my
plan of operations, since it is caused by posterior infor-
mation, which presents an insuperable obstacle to the
execution of the project submitted in my despatch of the
7th instant. The object now presented had not escaped
my mind, but it was opposed by my repugnance to give
ground to the enemy, and to sacrifice our boats, the infal-
lible consequence of its execution. The reduction of Pres-
cott and Kingston, and the occupancy and maintenance
of those posts, would be secured by our proximity to our
own resources, and our distance from those of the enemv-

« You are sensible that I dare not enter upon this ex-
pedition without permission, and also, that the lapse of
the season renders a prompt decision necessary, on the /

part of the executive ; I shall therefore expect your an-
swer as soon as may be convenient, and in the mean
time will put the troops in the best condition for the en-
terprise my means may permit. Should the President
sanction the plan now proposed, I shall remove the sick?
the convalescent, and every article of useless baggage,
together with the artillery and munitions of war, for
which I shall have no occasion, to Plattsburg ; shall de-
stroy our boats and break up our cantonments at the.
French Mills and Chateaugay, and wliilst I keep the
voT,. I. 4 G

60^ MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, enemy in expectation that tli^se precautions are prepara-
■^'" tory to the attar k of their posts and cantonments in mr
vicinity, I shall detarh four times the strength of the
garrison, to steal a march and take Prcscott by surprise
or storm, whither I shall follow that detachment with
the mait) body a few hours after it marches; and having
every tiling in readiness for t!ie movement, by its rapi-
dity, and the feints of some light parties, 1 shall pre»ent
the enemy from penetrating my i ea! design, until 1 hare
gained my first point.

*< In examining the abstract of our force whirh accom-
pani' s this letter, you will perceive a very considerable
part of it is reported «« sick in quarters;" but of these
we are to calculate on three-fourths being competent to
any stationary service with arms, and amongst them one-
third of the whole number, for any duty of a soldier. I
therefore think I shall be able to march five thousand five
liundred men, which, with the co-operation of the corps at
Sackett's Harbour, will I expect give us a force of seven
thousand five hundred non-commissioned officers and pri-
vates, to which, if necessary, ( hope Governor Tompkins
(whom I shall see to-morrow) may consent to add two
thousand A^cdunteers or militia.

« The blow which I desire to give, warrants great suf-
ferings, much hardship, and considerable hazard ; be-
cause if successful, we shall destroy the squadron of the
enemy at Kingston, kill and capture, eventually, four
thousan! of his best troops, recover what we have lost,
save much blood and treasure to the nation, and conquer
a province.

<<,I anticipate the difficulties in my way, and know that
disease, temprsts, and snow storiusy may forbid the at-
tempt, and baffle all my hopes ; but I remember what;
General Montgomery accomplished, under circumstances
more unfavoural)le ; and we may reasonably expect the
elements will not always be unpropitious.

<« I have the honour to be, &c.

«JA. >\1LKINS0N.
i< lion. John ^rmstrongf

Sccrcttiry of IVar.'**

GENERAL WILKINSON. G03

Uavine: despatched this Ifttcr rarly in the day, that it CHAP.
nii,e;hi bo iiis<'a.s(m for the Albany mail, l<» elude the huh- '^"'
piciun of any niililary arrani^ement by a formal visit to
the Goxernor, which would have been communicated to
Sir Geoi'j^e Prevost in the course of six days, 1 passed
the following note to his excellency and received his
answer.

[confidential.]

<« Waterfordf Sunday mornings Jan. I6th, 1814.
« Sir,

<» Though in very feeble healtii, a sense of duty has in-
duced me to seek an interview with your exceJKncy, that
I may avail myself of your judgment and advice, on se-
veral topics of high jmblic importance, which erjually in-
terest the national government and that over which you
preside; and I will pray of you, Sir, to pardon me when
I observe that I am desirous our meeting siiould be mark-
ed with as little notoriety as possible, to prevent the in-
telligencers of the enemy from putting him in alarm. It
is therefore, I have halted at this place, under the pre-
tence of indisposition and for the sake of tranquillit}^
where, would you condescend to wave etiquette, and
make a casual excursion apparently for recreation, I
can visit you and hold a conference, without exciting
suspicion. But if this proposition siiould not meet your
approbation, I will wait on you this day at such time and
place as you may name.

" In the mean time, I remain, with high considcratiou
and respect,

« Your excellency's obed't. and humble serv't.
« JA. WILKllNSON.
« His ExccVy, Governor Tompkins.*'

*' Jilbany, January 16th, ISljt.
« Dear Sir,

« The situation of my family deprives me of the plea-
sure of seeing you this day. Mrs. 1 ompkins is so sick
that I cannot with the least propi'iety leave home at pre-
sent. I will be at Mr. Demarest's to-morrow, unless ab-

604; MEMOIRS BY

Xlll.

CHAP, solutely prevented by the slj^iation of my family. If pre-
^"^ vented, I will apprise you early in the morning.

« I am anxious for an interview with you, and shall
not fail to be at Waterford to-morrow, if it be possible
for me to leave home.

*< AVith great regard and consideration,
<< I am, Dear Sir, your's, &c.

" DANIEL I>. TOMPKINS,
if Major-general Wilkinson,"

Agreeably to his promise. Governor Tompkins did mo
the honour to visit me on the 17th. It was my first in-
terview with him, and I confess I was agreeably struck
with his easy address, unaffected manner, and apparent
frankness. Having opened to him in detail my original
plan, and also the project I had substituted, in conscr
quence of the failure of provisions, he seemed delighted
with the last proposition, and observed that it perfectly
accorded with the views, he had previously communicated
to the Pi:esident and the secretary of war, and expressed
some surprise that he should not have received answers
to his letters. He appeared satisfied of the feasibility of
the enterprise, made no doubt of the acquiescence of the
executive, dwelt on the importance of its consequences,
and assured me he would cheerfully contribute all the
means in his power, to facilitate the execution. Fortu-
nately for my personal repose, but unfortunately for my
political career, not all the hypocrisy, deception, selfish-
ness and perfidy, which I have experienced from the year
1778 to the present day, have been able to shake my con-
fidence in human probity, or excite my suspicions against
a fellow man, without cause. — Could I then doubt the
candour of Governor Tompkins? It was impossible] and
it is a circumstance of unaffected sorrow, that J should
ever have found cause to suspect it.

I was ^flattered by his excellency's affability, and
charmed by the cordiality with which he entered into my
views ; he promised me transcripts from his communica-
tions to the President and the secretary of war, to which

GENERAL WILKINSON. 605

he had in conversation alluded, and when he left me, he chap.

carried with him my confidence, my respect and esteem. ^"'

I think it was on the morning of the 19th that I received

his letter dated the day before, covering the transcripts

he had promised me, which I trust I may now present to

the reader, without transgressing the limits of propriety

or decorum.

« Mhamjf Jan. 18<A, 1814.
ti Dear Sir,

<' The continuance of the indisposition of my family
prevents my calling on you again, unless your stay at
Waterford should be protracted.

" Upon examination I find that my letter to the secre-
tary of the 2d instant, suggested two plans of winter
movement; but that to the President of the 3d, very
nearly comports with the proposition you mentioned yes-
terday. I send you extracts containing the substance of
the two letters to which I referred you yesterday.

« I also send you the copy of a communication received
this day from Major-general Hall of the militia, com-
manding at present on the Niagara frontier. You will
see, that notwithstanding the recent panic, a few volun-
teers approached within half a mile of Fort Niagara, at-
tacked a party getting wood, killed four and took eight of
them prisoners. I have no doubt if this spirit should be
fostered by an expedition of the army in any direction,
the effects would be very important. As I hax* no au-
thority upon the subject of prisoners, passports, or pa-
roles, I must beg you, as commanding officer of this mi-
litary district, to give General Hall the requisite direc-
tions, in relation to the British prisoners mentioned in
his letter, and also with respect to the validity of certain
brevet commissions to which he refers, of which I have
no knowledge.

« Should you continue at "Waterford longer than you
expected, be pleased to advise me of it by the return of
the bearer.

« I am no military man, and therefore am wholly un-
qualified to judge of the best manner of accomplishing

xm

606 MEMOIRS BY

CH\p, the enterprise you propose; but permit me to say, that,
if undertaken it must not tail, if you are obliged to send
your whole army in detar bed corps of one thousand after
tbe first detachment, and within a few hours of each,
other. For, if the attempt fail, you have neither hospitals
or quarters for your wounded, nor accr)mmodation for
the rest, as Oe;<lensburgh village is within the range o£
the shells and balls of Prescott.

« Please to notify me as early as possible of the tim»
and place at which militia will be required to second
your plans. Wishing you complete restoration to health,
a comfortable and agreeable journey to head quarters,
and a successful and glorious issue to your enterprise;
permit me to assure you of my sincere intentions of co-
operating cheerfully and ardently, in any thing which
may be devised to revive the desponding spirits of the
community.

« I am, dear Sir,

« Your obedient servant,

" DANIEL D. TOMPKINS,
« Major-general Wilkinson."

Extract of a letter from B. B. Tompkins to the President)
dated Mbany, Oct. sd, 1814.

"The panic which these transactions (taking of Nia-
gara, burning of Lewistown, Manchester, Young's town
and Buffaloe) have spread amongst the inhabitants for a
number of miles back, is inconceivable. They are aban-
doning their possessions and Blocking into the interior.
The British force lately at Burlington, consisting of about
1100 regulars and 300 Indians, have by their recent en-
terprises put it out of our power to prevent their pro-
gress to Erie or to Detroit. For militia and volunteers
alone, without ordnance or discipline, cannot be compe-
tent to retake Niagara, and without that, the road of the
enemy to those places is secure. The consequences of
permitting things on that frontier to remain in their pre*
sent state are too obvious to be enumerated.

*<u

GENERAL WILKINSON. G07

"Expeditions, undeitak<n with vfdijntcers and militia ctfAP.
alone, huvc generally failed, and are pecidiariy unwise ^'"
where the taking of fortified places, eitlicr by regular ap-
proach or by storm, is necessary to the success of the
expedition.

«« Impressed with the importance of immediate winter
operations by our army, to counteract those of the ene-
my, I have ventured to suggest to the war department
one or two plans which have occurred to me, and take
the liberty of sending you a copy of the communication
containing them. It is not with much confidence in my
own opinion upon the subject, that I am so bold as to
intimate the propriety of this or that movement ; not
being a military man, nor acquainted with tlic number
and health of the troops at the several stations ; but it
must be obvious to you, that something must be do/ic
speedily, or the next will be a defensive campaign only,
if not one of absolute disgrace.

« The army at Plattsburgh and French Mills, might
march to Montreal, if their numbers were sufficient, a
movement in that direction is practicable in other re-
spects. But the more general, and I think the most ju-
dicious, opinion amongst intelligent men is, that the
taking of Prescott, if nothing more be done this winter,
might be and ought to be effected without delay. The
possession of that place will enable us to intercept the
supplies needful for the equipment of additional vessels
at Kingston, and in that way reduce Kingston indirect-
ly; whilst it will enable General Wilkinson to make
Sackett's Harbour perfectly secure from attack. Indeed
I am not without hopes, that a direct attack upon Kings-
ton will be deemed advisable, and be attempted before
the ice shall leave the St. Lawrence."

Extract of a letter from D. D. Tompkins to the Secretary of

Jfar, dated Albany, Jan. 2i/, 181i.
<t Sir,

« I have this moment received an express, announcing
the distressing intelligence that the flourishing village of

608 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP Buffaloe is destroyed. The British crossed at Black
^"^' Rock, two miles below Buffaloe, on Thursday morning
^^ -^ at day-break, about 1000 strong. They were attacked
with spirit by volunteers under the command of General
Hall, and several lives were lost ; but the volunteers and
militia were overpowered and dispersed. The British
proceeded to and burnt the village, and I presume the
' vessels of the Erie fleet which were ashore at Buffaloe.

« General Hall's account is not very circumstantial.
The capture of Fort Niagara is confirmed. The wiiole
frontier from Lake Ontario to Lake Erie is depopulated,
and the buildings and improvements, with a few excep-
tions, destroyed. The bodies of several inhabitants of
Lewistown have been found in a mangled state; they
were massacred and scalped. In a former letter I took
the liberty of suggesting the danger of the destruction of
the Lake Erie fleet. The frontier which lies between the
British and the harbour of Erie, is now open for their
march to that harbour, and if left unmolested by our
army, they will inevitably go to Erie, and destroy the
vessels there, and will besides make an effort to retake
Detroit, and destroy the vessels on the upper part of the
lake. Were they to accomplish those objects, and 1 have
no doubt they will attempt them, it will, with presents of
clothing and other articles taken in Fort Niagara, enable
them to regain the confidence and services of the western
Indians.

« To counteract these winter expeditions of the enemy,
it will be indispensable, that our army be in motion. I
would throw out for consideration, whether tlie whole
force at French Mills and Plattsburgh, or a sufficient de-
tachment thereof, ought not to bo removed to Ogdens-
burgh or Sackett^s Harbour, and acting in concert with '
the force at the latter place, attack Prescott or Kings-
ton? or whether, if that be deemed impracticable^ 2500
of the army cannot be conveyed to the Niagara frontier,
and with the militia and volunteers (I will pledge myself
there shall be 5000 volunteers, provided the above num-
ber of regulars be associated with them) make a diver-

GENERAL WILKINSON. 609

sion from Kingston and Prescott, whilst the residue ctf chap.
the army, with Commodore Chaunccy^s I'orcc, assails one ^"'
of those places?

" Either of those movements will cost little more than
three or four large vessels, which must otherwise be
built. It is as healthy, as safe and as economical, to move
warmly clothed troops in January and February, as in
the wet months of October and November. They can
sleep in their sleighs with their arms in their hands, and
can encamp as they would form. The same sleighs which
transport the troops may carry provisions and forage for
ten days.

«< Be assured that something must be done, and that
speedily and effectually, or the confidence of the citizens
of this quarter in the government will be impaired, if not
lost.

*< You will pardon these suggestions; they are made
witli the best intentions: any other arrangements or
plans which may be devised, will equally receive my
earnest co-operation and support. If any thing be un-
dertaken, it will be indispensable that all the enterprising
and valuable officers of the army who may be absent
from it, should immediately return to th<'ir posts; and
that all tlie recruits in Pennsylvania, New York, and
Vermont, and the troops on furlough be made subser-
vient to the plan."

The Governor had encouraged me to expect the honour
of a second visit; but as his domestic concerns inter-
fei-ed, and I was detained by a despatch from Saokett's
Harbour, advising me that that post was menaced by the
enemy, I wrote his excellency on the 20th in the terms
following.

« Waterford, Jan. QOth, IS 14.
« Dear Sir,

<« It appears from intelligence recently received, th?.t
the enemy are weakening tijeir posts in the neighbour-
hood of Montreal, with intention to strengthen those to
vol.. I. 4 H

610 MEMOIRS BY

CHA.P. the westward. This circumstance, and the exposed si-
^"'- tuation of Sacketfs Harbour, induces me to request that
^■^""^"^^ you may be pleased to order to tliat place, with as little
delay as possible, a reinforcement of one thousand mili-
tia or volunteers. The destruction of our squadron is as
interesting to the enemy, as its preservation is material
to the United States; as little therefore as possible should
be left to hazard ; and should no danger exist, we derive
advantage from this arrangement, which, while it pre-
vents t!»€ attack of the enemy, will be interpreted into a
mere precaution of defence, and of consequence will fa-
A'our any measure of offence we may be permitted to
make; and as a further act of deception, I will beg leave
to offer to your excellency's consideration, the policy of
incorporating two or three hundred volunteers, to watch
the right bank of the river St. Lawrence from Cranberry
creek down to Hamilton; with the professed design to
intercept smugglers, but in fact to amuse the enemy, to
?, mask my movement against Prescott, and be ready to co-

operate in such manner as may be found most useful.

'« I pray you to pardon me for a third proposition.—
Were it possible to call out 1000 or 1500 men, to take
post at the French Mills, only for a week or two after
ray march, it would greatly embarrass the enemy, and
the tenure would be perfectly safe ; and 1000 at Platts-
burgh, in addition to our regular force there, for three
months, would give entire security to that place and Bur-
lington, until all the attention, the efforts and exertions
of the eneiny, would be drawn towards the upper province.
Will you have the goodness to favour me with an answer
on these topics.

« Witii high consideration and r£spect,
" I have the honour to be,

*< Your excellency's obliged
" and faithful servant,

« JA. WILKINSON.
*« His Excellency Governor Tompkins,'^

GENERAL WILKINSON. 611

Uut being advised, verbally, tbat tbis letter was defer- chap.
iive ill form, I proposed to take a private dinner wilb liis ''"'•
excellency, which would furnisit an opportunity ioi- ex-
planation; in consequence of wbicl), I addressed another
letter to him, in which my application for auxiliary mili-
tia was, at his desire, rendered more strictly conformable
to the requisitions of the law^ as the copy will show.

« fVaterford, Jan. 21s^ 181i.
" Dear Sir, ,

"I have cause to believe the enemy meditate the inva-
sion of Sackctt's Harbour at no distant day, vvitli a view
to the destruction of our squadron at that place; the pre-
servation of which is an object of such moment to the
United States, that I have ordered every disposable man
at Grcenbush, to march for the support of it, and I hope
this detachment may amount to five hundred non-com-
missioned officers and privates. Could your excellency
add one thousand men to this force, under the authority
of the law of February 21st, 1795, for calling forth the
militia to execute the laws of the union, suppress insur-
rections and repel invasions, the post menaced would be
placed in a state of security against any force with which
the enemy can attack it; and if a detachment of two,
three, or four hundred men could be called out under the
same law, to patrole and guard the right bank of the
river, from the neighbourliood of Cranberry creek down
to the town of Hamilton, it would add essentially to our
safety. The proper departments will be ordered to fur-
nish transport, provisions, quarters, fuel, &c. should you
deem it expedient to indulge my wishes.

« With high consideration and respect,
« I have the honour to be,

« Your excellency's ob't humble servH,
«JA. WILKINSON.
« His Excellency Governor Tompkins,
State oJMiv VorJi."

Qi2 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. I took my departure from Waterford on the 22(1, and
^"^ was overtaken by an express at Salem, about midnight,
Colonel "^"^'^'i ^ despatch from Colonel Winfield Scott, covering
Scott's instructions from the war department, wherein he was
ment "to a appointed to the command of an armament, within the
separate district of my command; without reference to my autho-
and le- ' I'i^y, in violation of tlie fundamental principles of service,
flections ^^d contrary to General Armstrong's express stipulations
when I entered on the command of the northern army; but
this outrage on military subordination and the feelings of
a gentleman, was highly decorous when compared v.ith the
indecencies I have witnessed. I perceived from the tenor
of the order, that the execution was iinpractirable in the
depth of winter. It appeared to me that the mark of dis-
tinction by the secretary, was intended as a commutation to
the Colonel, for secret services rendered at the metropo-
lis, and the measure proposed, a display of sympathy for
the unfortunate inh.ibitants of the western frontiers of
New York, whom he had sacrificed by his disposition of the
troops of General Harrison, Under this conviction, and
the disgust excited by the fraudulent proposition, for rob-
bing the officers of the militia of their rightful command,
I wrote the letter of the 23d to the Governor, which is
now published, together with Scott's letter and instruc-
tions, and my answer j in the first of which it will be
seen, that the fawning hypocrite, having understood, no
doubt from Governor Tompkins, the enterprise I medi-
tated, and discovering the impracticability of that on
which he had been sent, could seek a command* under

* Yet in less than four months after, when the secretary of war
iiad succeeded by intrigue, perfidy, and the subserviency of President
Madison, to remove me from command, this ivjlated coxcomb, well
knowing his desires would be indulged, observed in the presence of
Doctor E. W. Bull, " that General TVilhinson was too old for the active
duties ofthejield; that he hoped never again to see liim, or any other ge-
neral officer of his age, at the head of the army." But ilie shallow lirwr.
gart ivent on to observe " that from his knowledge of details, he thought
him {General Wilkinson,) well qualified to discharge the duties of secre-
tary of v.-ar, better perhaps than any of his predecessors'' This was

GENERAL WILKINSON. 6l«

the man whom he had publicly calumniated, and pcrfi. chap.

diously slandered.

« DemaresVs (Waterford), Jan. Q2d, 1814..

^f Sir,

« I have the honour to inclose you a copy of a letter*
from the war department, under which I have arrived
within your district. Doctor Bull and Captain Nourse,
whom I met below Albany, informed me that you had left
this place on the morning of the £lst, and it was not

modest in a young gentleman, who had not seen quite two cam-
paigns, and contrary to the practice and experience of mankind, he
contrived to make the impression at head quarters; and President
Madison soon after observed to an officer of his early acquaint-
ance, that "public opinion held age to be objectionable, and youth to
be preferable in military service." Being asked If that was his opi-
nion ? he said "JVo; that he thought age and experience should de-
sign, and youth execute; but that that was not the prevalent opinion."
—Therefore this faithful magistrate sacrificed his own judgment,
backed by reason and experience, to corrupt intrigue and popular
prejudice. But General Scott was moved by double motives; first,
to put out of tiie way all obstacles to his own ambition; secondly, he
was aware that I understood his character, and that although I should
render strict justice to the officer, I would correct the intrigues and
impostures of the man.

* This letter of Instructions is mislaid, but it referred to Governor
Tompkins for a brigade of militia, and in order to secure the chief
command to Colonel Scott, it was proposed to wave the legal orga-
nization, and call out regiments without a general staff. Hence my
letter to tht Governor, dated Salem, Jan. 23d, 1814. I never under-
vmderstood that any thing further was attempted in order to carry
this project into execution, though 1 some time in February received
the following letter from the secretary of war; in which it will be ob-
served he enumerates the troops which are to compose the expedi-
tion, making a small error of one thousand men in his addition.

*' War Department, Jan. SOth, 1814.

<• Sir,

<< It is intended to institute a campaign immediately against the
enemy's winter positions in the peninsula. This has three objects ;

XIII.

614? MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, until 12 o'clock to-day, that I learnt from Colonel Jen-
^^**' kins that there was any hope of finding you here. I im-
mediately hastened out to see you.

<< Under the authority of the inclosed, I ordered Cap-
tain Williams's company of 2d artillery to Williamsville,
near Buffaloe, via Albany ; it was to leave Philadelphia
on yesterday, and will proceed in sleighs. It was also
ray intention to have ordered a company of the 3d artil-
lery to the same destination, from Greenbush; but inde-
pendent of the general impropriety of putting in motion
troops within your district without your direct authority,
I have just learnt from General Dearborn, that the de-
tachments at Greenbush have received a different desti-
nation hy your immediate order. I shall not, of course,
presume to touch a man at that place.

<* Under the circumstances disclosed, my situation is
truly embarrassing. I wish to execute my orders with
satisfaction to all of my superiors : if I had been fortu-
nate enough to have seen you, this might have been ac-

Ist, to break up those positions ; 2d, to compel the enemy to aban-
don Fort Niagara; and 3d, to prevent their making detachments
westward against Maiden and Detroit, or against our shipping at
Erie and Put-in Bay. For this service a corps will be composed as
follows, viz.

400 regular infantry,

100 artillerists,

400 Indians,
2400 volunteer militia, and

100 do. mounted.

Making a total of 2400

" Of the regular part of this force. Colonel Scott has carried with
him 100 artillerists ; 100 infantry under Lieutenant Riddle, are at or
near Batavia; whence it follows, that 250 are yet to be furnished.
These you will supply without delay, either from the recruiting de-
pots in the western part of the state of New York, or from Sackett's
Harbour, if General Brown's detachment should have reached it.

" Yours respectfully,

" J. ARMSTRONG^
" General Wilkinson^

GENERAL WILKINSON. 615

complished : as it is, I pray you will favour me with chap,
your instructions by tlie return of the express. ^'"•

if I have the honour to be, Sir,
« With the highest respect,

« Your most obedient servant,
« W. SCOTT,

« Colonel 2(1 U, S. Art
a Major-general Wilkinson, Comd^g, ^c. ^c.

« P. S. Colonel Scott congratulates General Wilkin-
son on the recovery of his health, and should be happy
to serve at any point on the frontier below Niagara. —
Colonel S. has no partiality for militia, but hopes to da
his duty, wherever he may go."

« Salem, Jan. 2Sd, 181*, 6 o^ clock, A. M.
<« Sir,

« I received at li o'clock last night your letter of the
day, and consider the protection of Sackett's Harbour,
seriously menaced by the enemy, so much more impor-
tant than any attempt to recover Niagara, that I cannot
vary my destination of the detachment from Greenbush ;
and I perceive that your orders authorise you to dispose
of artillerists from the several depots of recruits only.

" Having entered mv department, I trust you so well
understand the principle of subordination, as not to in-
terfere with any officer under my command, unless by
my permission, or with any of the troops of the depart-
ment before you are duly authorised j as such interfe-
rence would not only be an unwarrantable usurpation,
but might destroy the most salutary plans, which can be
devised for the interest and honour of the nation.

« Your orders from the secretary of wai' being specific,
and without reference to the commanding officer of the
department, it would be improper for me to interfere, or
to offer you instructions.

<« I consider the armament proposed for your direc-
tion of very great importance, as it may make a diver-
sion of the enemy's force from Kingston, and favoJir the

616 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, safety of Sackett's Harbour. I therefore wish ydu a
^"^" prompt levy of your force, and a speedy arrival at the
proposed theatre of operations. The excellent, and as I
understand complete, company of Captain Williams, you
will find ample for the operations of that arm, with a
column of two thousand five hundred infantry.

« With consideration and respect,
« I have the honour to be. Sir,
« Your obedient servant,
«JA. WILKINSON
it Colonel W, Scott, drtiUenj.*'

[Private.]

« Salem, Jan, 23d, 1814.
« Dear Sir,

« Last night at 11 o'clock, I received a letter from
Colonel Scott, with a copy of his instructions, which will
of course be submitted to you,

« T!ie design is a good one, but I fear you may find
difficulty in the execution; for you know Virgil tells us, " it
is natural for like to love like;" and Colonel Scott's high
crest, notwithstanding his merits, may not « primafacie^*
conciliate your yeomanry to his command; besides, the
<« amour propre" of your general officers may be affected.
These fears may, I hope be unfounded, and I offer them
to your consideration, that, in case of an accord of senti-
ment, you may offer some more feasible plan to the secre-
tary of war; for some operation of the kind proposed,
should be carried into execution ; — not, my dear Sir, that
I expf ct any otiier immediate effect from it, in the quar-
ter of Niagara, than the repos.sessiin of tiie settlements,
and to favour objects of more importance, by drawing a
portion of the enemy's force from below. Colonel Scott
wishes a part of the detacliment ordered Irom Greenbush
to Sa( keit's Harbour, whiih I cannot alio ' him, because
the protection of that post is often thousjaitl times more
importance than the innmeUiate recovery of Niagara, and

GENERAL WILKINSON. (J^y

because one hundi-cd artillerists (a full company I under- chap.
stand) orden5d by him from riiiiadelpliia, is ample for the "'^"'
operations n( two thousand five hundred infantry, whe- ^^""'''^^
tlier stationary or on alert movements. I intreat you to
advise me of the progress of this plan, and have the ho-
nour to be, with great respect and esteem,

« Dear Sir,
*< Your obliged and obedient servant,
« JA. WILKINSON.
<^ His Excellency Governor Tompkins."

Here I must stop short in my narrative, to introduce A retro-
an episode, of such complication and intricacy, as may ^^^*^'
bewilder the reader, and defy explanation. It is a case
of strong character, in which it would seem impossible to
condemn, and yet it will be found difficult to acquit, an
exalted national character, of an act of deliberate false-
hood and premeditated calumny, which would justly
consign his memory to everlasting infamy. On my way
to Troy, to vindicate my honour against the foul
charges suggested by t!ie vindictive spirit of the secre-
tary of war. General John Armstrong, and supported
by the injustice of Piesident Madison, I reached the city
of New York on the evening of the 28th of Jan. 1815;
and on the morning of the 29th, received a visit from
that distinguished officer and most excellent young gen-
tleman. Captain Biddic of the navy, who presented to me
the Evening Post, in which 1 read with some emotion the
following publication.

[confidential.]

" Albany, January Slstf 181*.
« Dear Sir,

« Since I wrote to you last, I have had two interviews Governor
with General Wilkinson, whom I never saw before. He To""kms's

letter to

threatens to make a dash soon, and consulted me upon General
the very plan which I had suggested in my letter of the "^"^"^'^
2d inst. He must have learned that I had suggested the
VOL. J. 4 I

618 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, taking of Prescott, and mentioned that as Ms plan to
^'"- tickle me.

a I liave great confidence in your penetration upon
most subjects, but I fear you have not formed a correct
judgment of the General's talents and qualifications. He
is wonderfully tenacious of his authority, and is very in-
different about his old carcase.' and vwpours too much, I
predict that he will venture but little if he can help it.

<« He has sent me a request to order to Sackett's Har-
bour one thousand militia or volunteers with as little de-
lay as possible, without mentioning the cause for the calif
the act or authority under which it is made, or the time
of service. I am endeavouring to get some volunteers
for the purpose. I hardly dare call for another detach-
ment from Collins's district so soon. The authority to
accept, organize, and transport volunteers, ought there-
fore to come from you. Will you drop rae a line upon
that subject immediately ?

« If your army bill has passed, send forth your re-
cruiting officers immediately. A great number of men
can be inlisted in the western and northern parts of this
state, if you strike whilst the iron is hot. Do not tbrget
one things that if the bounty be not advanced punoiually,
particularly in the first instance, the enemies of the go-
vernment will be able to defeat in a great measure the
object of the law.

" I have a letter from General Hall, stating that Nia-
gara is garrisoned with from £50 to 300 men, and that
our patroles go within musket-shot of the fort. The Bri-
tish keep no guards outside the fort.

«« Colonel Scott v\ill be awkwardly situated there in
the first instance. Major Malcolm has gone on, and Ge-
neral Hall informs me, takes away all the regulars now
on the Niagara frontier (about 150). Of course, Scott
will have 100 men, now at Greenbush on their way to
Niagara, and about 1700 militia. I have told him I will
withdraw the General the moment it is wished or thought
prudent. But as two of our brigadiers are volunteers,
and may have influence, and be esteemed by the militia

GENERAL WILKINSON. 6I9

and voliintcers now out, would it not be best to brevet chap.
Scott a Bri.^adicr-.e;cncral /or that command only, with ^"'
an undrrstanding (if lie is not appointed a brigadier of ^"^'^''^'
the army immediately) that tiie rank shall be limited to
that command. I have no objection to it, and would re-
commend it as politic, and as the most pupulur way to
get along with the militia brigadiers.

" We have a curious council of appointment, consist-
ing of two federalists, one Clintonian, one Madisonian,
and your humble servant, having a casting vote only. No
one can tell what we shall do, but my own belief is that
the council will be decidedly and inveterately federal.

« Will you have the goodness to direct the settlement
of my accounts as soon as may be convenient.

« I am, dear Sir, your friend, &c.

<' DANIEL D. TOMPKINS.
« General Armstrong.

« P. S. Arc we to have an armistice or peace?"

After reading tlie correspondence which is exposed in Reflec-
the prxeding sheets, before the authenticity of this letter ^hTprg*)
can be admitted, it will be necessary to presuppose a de- ceding
gree of inherent baseness, which feeds on scandal and * ^^'
fattens on falsehood ! We must admit a confirmed habit
of hypocrisy and deceit, against which all the cardinal
virtues and every hoivourable impulse must revolt with
detestation! For my own part, I could not think so mean-
ly of a fellow man, who with talents below mediocrity, *
had raised liimscif from the humblest walks of society, to
the chief magistracy of the first state of the union; this
fact is confessed, and gives rise to the presumption, that
he possessed that broad integrity and purity of life, which
supplies every defect of birth, talents and fortune.

1 therefore on arriving at Albany paid my respects
to the Governor, accompanied by a gentleman of my ac-
quaintance. My reception was most cordial, and his ex-
cellency oppressed me with civilities, which the delicacy
of my situation obliged me to decline. After the termi-

$S0 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, nation of my trial, I again called to pay my respects tw
^]^ the chief magistrate and make ray conge, and as I had
not understood that he denied the authenticity of the let-
ter published in the Evening Post, I felt a disposition to
sound him on the subject. I was accompanied by a re-
spectable friend, who does not forget the circumstances*
In the course of conversation, I took occasion to observe
to the Governor, that " our friend Armstrong had treated
us rather scurvily?^' But he waved the subject, and ap-
peared mortified. I however determined not to let him
off there; and took occasion to remark, "Governor, I
am myself strongly tempted to drop a letttr of General
Jlrmstrong^s;^^ — he appeared more embarrassed, but still
made no repl3% I pitied him, took him by the hand, and
bidding him adieu, left him to his reflections, as I now
do the world, to judge between us; sincerely regretting
the necessity of this exposition, and from my heart for-
giving him, if he did aim a secret stab at my character,
to gratify his vanity or enhance his importance with the
men then in power. But I trust the independent, vir-
tuous militia of New York, will render justice to a mi-
litary officerf who endeavoured to sustain those legitimate
rights, which it seems the man of their choice did not
appear to regard with the same delicacy or justice.

,\

CiENERAL WILKINSON. 021

CHAPTER XIV.

General Wilkinson determines to attack Prescott upon his CHAP.
oivn responsibility. — Makes his arrangements according-
ly.— Desciiption of the fort of Prescott. — Proposed mode
of attack. — .Anticipated consequences of its full. — Hispros-
jiccts blasted by the Secretary of War^s orders of the 20th
and 2.1st of January. — Troops march for Sackett's Har-
bour and Plattsbnrg. — Sufferings to which they are ex-
posed.— Supposed motives for those orders. — Secretary of
War omits giving orders respecting the post at Chateau-
gay Four Corners. — Wilkinson withdraws the troops on
his oxvn responsibility. — Enemy tnters the territory with
about 1600 or 2000 men. — Reflections on the Secretary's
conduct. — Incidents on the western frontier of the state of
JVew York referred to. — The little faith to be reposed in
the official reports of' the commander in chief demonstrated.
— Difficulty in obtaining correct information respecting
events of the war. — Case of Colonel R. Mcholas cited. —
Complaints of Major Herkimer and the U. S. Volunteers
against the conduct of General Brown. — His immediate
promotion. — Reflections on the appointment of Gene-
rat Brown and other officers to report on the moral and
military qualifications of the officers of the army. — Mr.
Dallas's insidious statement of the 17th May, 1815, re-
ferred to, — Reflections thereon. — Motives for inquiring
into the conduct of public officers. — General Brown
marches with 2000 picked men, ostensibly to defend*
Sackett's Harbour or attack Kingston. — Is taken under
the especial orders of the Secretary of War. — Receives
instructions from him. — Despatches an officer to concert
measures with Colonel Scott and Governor Tompkins. —
The result of his mission. — General Brown marches to-

6^S MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. wards Buffaloe Countermarches, aiid marches again.

^i^- ^Substance of his orders.— Mistakes the Secretary's

^"^"^^^^^^ feigned letter for an order, and acts upon it. — Is per-
mitted to remain on the iN'iagara, and afterwards to cross
the strait. — Instructions for his conduct.— The expedition
into Canada^ and reflections thereon — Propriety of con-
ferring marks of distinction on the several corps engaged,

. Risk iticurred by General Brown in crossing the strait

of J^iagara The enemy's want of enterprise^ and fall

of Fort Erie. — General Brown detaches less than half
his army to advance on the whole force of the enemy. —
General Rial fails to take advantage of this movement. —
.5n opportunity presented to General RiaU by which he
co^ild have destroyed General Brown without a blow. — •
The defects of the camp at Street's creek exposed. — Ge-
neral Porter advances and drives in a party of the enemy's
irregulars. — Is in turn obliged to retreat. — Main body
of the enemy discovered, — Accidental meeting of Generals
Browiif Scott and Ripley. — Conversation which ensued.
— Defects of the camp further illustrated. — .iffair of
Street's creek. — Captain Towson distinguishes himself.
— General Scott's gallantry displayed. — Jl tribute to Ma-
jors Jesup, Leavenworth and M^JVeil. — Military re-
wards in the revolutionary ^ compared with those lavish-
ed in the late, war. — Reasons assigned for the difference.
— Conduct of Gerieral Brown in the affair of Street's creek.
— General Scott's conduct approved. — .American and Bri-
tish returns of killed and wounded. — Variance betyvcen

General Brown and General Porter's reports noticed

General Brown's ignorance or want of exertion demon-
strated.— Captain Treat's guard f red on by the enemy. —
General Brown's official letter to the secretary of war- of
7lh January, 1815. — Reflections thereon.' — Major-general
Brown detected in another falsehood. — Conduct of the exe-
cutive.— Quixotic determination of General Brown.

Wilkinson It will have beon seen in the preceding chapter that

ipinesio °" ^y ^'"'■'val at Wiitcrfonl, on the 16th January, I sub-
aiuck iiiitted to tho consideration of the executive, through the

GENERAL WILKINSON. ft28

aecretary of war, my project for takinj^ the enemy's post rwAP.
at I'rcscott by a coup lU main. I had jjroposcd origi- -'"^'•
nally to await the orders of the government upon this en- ,^'^'^^'^*^

•' o 1 I'rescott,

tcrprise, and to emph)y the intermediate time in the nc- andukes
ccssarv preparations ; but on a conference with Governor '"* ^^*''
Tompkins, discoverinij that my plan met his hearty con- coidingU.
currencc, I resolved to take upon mysilf tlie responsibi-
lity of the operation, and to proceed upon its execution
with the least possible delay, as the season, the state of
the roads, and tlie river Cadaraqui, favoured the enter-
prise. Accordingly I hastened back, to the frontier, taking
"Whitehall and other depots in my way, to make arrange-
ments for pressing forward provisions. I arrived at
Plattsburg on the 26th, and despatched orders to Colonel
Bissel at Chateaugay, and Brigadier-general Brown at
French Mills; the former to hold 500 picked men in rea-
diness to march at a moment's warning for distant ser-
vice, and tlie latter to be prepared with a few pieces of
artillei'y on sleds, and a thousand of his best troops, for
the same operation. I had intended to have selected and
taken with me 600 men from the troops at Plattsburg,
having directed that excellent officer Major Reese, of
the quarter-master general's department, to provide a
sufficient number of sleighs for the movement, under
pretence of accelerating the transport of provisions and
stores.

My measures were now so nearly completed, that I
bad fixed on the night of the 29th or SOth to lUove olf
from Plattsburg, and leaving orders at tlie several posts '
for provisions and baggage to follow me. It was my in-
tention to make no halt except to refresh the horses, as
the troops could have sKpt in the sleighs. Tiiis would
have enabled me to pick up Colonel BisscU's corps, and
reach French Mills by noon the next day. From this
post, wliilst my horses were feeding, I should have sent
out a heavy detachment to menace Cornwall, and step-
ping into the sleighs, would have proceeded rapidly to
the destined point of attack, which I should have taken by
surprise, in the twilight of the next morning. I had pos-

634

MEMOIRS BY

CHAR
XIV.

Descrip-
tion of the
fort of
Prescott.

Conse-
quences
of its fall.

His plan
defeated
by the ar-
rival of or-
ders from
the secre-
tary of
war.

sossed myself of an accurate plan and description of the
place: it was a quadrangle of sod work, and without a
single flanking angle, or exterior obstruction of any kind,
with its battery pointed to the river, which the post was
originally intended to command, and to serve at the same
time as an entrepot between Montreal and Kingston : a
bh)rk house had been erected for the interior defence,
but the roof was flat, and could have been gained without
difliculty from the parapet. Such a place without a
fraising, a ditch, palisades, or abbatis, garrisoned by
only 200 or 250 men, its utmost strength, could have
made little opposition, even in open day, to columns of
500 select men, marching simultaneously upon each of its
faces. The blow would have disconcerted, distracted and
appalled the enemy, and Governor Tompkins assured me
its accomplishment would enable him to turn out 5000
militia , our regular force could then have been incorpo-
rated at Ogdensburgh and in the vicinity, and the Cana-
das would have been effectually dissevered : Kingston
and the peninsula would have fallen by famine, or the
sword, at our discreticm; the lake squadron would have
been destroyed — and wliat would have been the effects ?
Montreal might have been taken in the spring, before the
arrival of a man from Europe — thousand of lives since
sacrificed without object, would have been spared — and
the public treasure would not have been dissipated in
building 80 gun ships on Lake Ontario, and in senseless
enterprises.

Whilst indulging these cheering anticipations, of ren-
dering such important services to my country, and all
hands were actively engaged in preparations, an express
from Colonel Jenkins, quarter-master general at Albany,
reached me on the evening of the 26th, or morning of the
27th; and at once put at end to my preparations, blasted
all my hopes, subjected the public to millions of expense,
sacrificed thrice the number of men Prescott would have
cost, and as at JViagarUf exposed the frontier to be over-
run by the enemy.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 6^9

CRAP.

« War Department, Jan. 20th, 1814. ->^'V.
it Sir, wv^^ii^

«< 1 have the orders of the President to inform you,
that under a full consideration of your present position
on the Salmon rivei-, in relation as well to present safe-
ty,* as to future operations, it is his direction that you
abandon that position, and that after detaching General
Brown with two tliousand men and a competent propor-
tion of your field and battering cannon to Sackett's Har-
bour, you will fall back with the residue of your force,
stores, &c. to Plattsburg. Means should be immediately
taken to cover the men in huts or barracks, and to pro-
mote this object orders will be directly sent from this
office to the officers commanding at Plattsburg and Sack-
ett's Harbour, to put into activity, by hired labour and
fatigue duty, all the resources within their respective
commands. This will not, however, supersede any auxi-
liary measures or orders, going to the same object, which
your experience and judgment may suggest.

« The sick and wounded of the army should be sent to
Burlington.f

*f I have the honour to be,
" Very respectfully, Sir,

*» Your most obedient servant,
*» JOHN ARMSTRONG.

" Major-general Wilkinson.^*

* Yet 1 believe there was not an officer in the army who did not
then consider the position perfectly safe. General Brown desired to
be attacked by 10,000 men.

f Humanity forbade this, as many of them would have perished on
the road.

VOX. I. 4 K

626 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP.

^^^- t* War Department, Jan. 2lst, 1814.

« Sir,

t( The movements of the army, directed by my letter
of yesterday, arc to be simultaneous, the better to secure
both from the enterprises of the enemy.

« 1 am. Sir, very respectfully,
*« Your obedient servant,

" JOHN ARMSTRONG.
<* Major-general Wilkinson.''^

The reader will not fail to remark on the absolute te-
nor of this order, which, in the dead of winter was to
produce an entire change in the disposition of the main
body of the army, just after the troops had made them-
selves comfortable in quarters, at an immense expense,
by which the abandonment of our hospital to the enemy.
Sufferings with our sick and wounded, became inevitable; and the
to which troops (many of them feeble convalescents) were exposed
were ex- to severe sufferings and certain destruction ; and all this
posed, under the pretext of dangers which did not exist, and of
future operations witliout a plan.

On the receipt of the above order, I despatched the fol-
lowing letter to General Brown.

« Flattsburg, January 2Sth, 1814.
« Sir,

« You must be prepared to march for Sackett's Har-
bour, with two thousand men, and a competent propor-
tion of field and battering cannon. You understand the
route infinitely better than I do; and therefore in concert
with the quarter-master general, will have transport pro-
vided, and every necessary arrangement made to accele-
rate the movement. You may look for me, on Monday
or Tuesday, when we will determine, what corps shall
compose your detachment; — in the mean time have the
whole of the troops prepared to march; — and as this un-
looked for disposition and division of our force, may ex-
pose us to the enterprise of the enemy in our neighbour-

GENERAL WILKINSON. 627

Jiood, this order must be cautiously concealed, Trom all chap.
persojis but the quarter-master general, and the steps you ^'^•
may be obliged to adopt, ought to be attributed to any
otiier causc^ but the true one.

*< With consideration and respect,
" I have tlie honour to be, Sir,
" Your obedient servant,

««JA. WILKINSON.
it Brigadier-general Brown.*'

Indeed, the transactions of this period, particularly
when we take into view the capricious disposition of the
force under Major-general Izard, a])pear to be among
those inscrutable mysteries, which the rulers of nations
think it expedient to conceal from the vulgar. It was
reported in the channels of public information, that the
intention of breaking up the cantonment at French Mills
was to provide an adequate force for the defence of Sack-
ett's Harbour, or to attack Kingston j but very soon after,
the troops under General Brown were heard of marching
and counter-marching through snow, mud and water,
between Sackett's Harbour and Niagara. These move-
ments appeared to be at variance with public rumour,
since, if Sackett's Harbour was to be defended, or Kings-
ton assaulted, it would not seem to be the very best mode
of accomplishing either object, to march the very troops
ostensibly destined to perform these important services,
a distance of about 150 miles south of the p >ints of de-
fence and attack, especially at such a season. My coun^
trymen will not ])erhaps have forgotten the i)ains taken
by the government to transfer from its own imbecility,
improvidence, and parsimony, the reproach attached
to the array at Terrc aux Bocuf in ISOS, where
Hie soldier suffering under the diseases of the climate,
was denied by his government the sustenance suited to
the debility of his condition, or necessary to the resto-
ration of his health; where milk and porter were in-
terdicted to men who were suffering every privation and
the extreme of disease, for a paltry stipend of five dollars

6S8 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, a month. This sensibility^ which was then so much alive,
^^^' appears to have been totally exhausted on that occasion;
for no inquiry has been yet ina<le, nor any iiiformation
given on those desolatinja^ operations, fruitful only of
misery and waste of the public resources and of human
Jife.

As my letter of the 16th January, written at Wat-^r-
ford, a few miles from Albany, would reach Wasliingtoti
by the regular course of the mail about the 20th ; vn hat
the precise motives were which operated on the war mi-
nister or the aulic council, immediately to arrest my en-
terprise, it is for those who have marked the character of
Supposed tlieir measures generally to form an opinion j but as the
for"he* successful attack of Prescott, whit h Governor Tompkins
order. himself believed practicable, would have defeated the in-
trigues of my enemies, checked tlie current of slander
and averted the persecutions which had been determined
on ; would it be uncharitable, to s ippose that those con-
siderations made it advisable to prevent the attempt, and
for this purpose, as no reasonable objection could be op-
posed to an enterprise, which, inde|>endent of its intrinsic
merits, had been recommended by Governor Tompkins^
the hasty order of the 20th, was made out 6t/ order of Pre-
sident Madison; or, is to be imputed to the instable pro-
jects and vacillating councils of the country, so unprofita-
bly conspicuous througiiout the war? The first hypo-
thesis is however but too probable, as the system of
intrigue, and the desperate schemes which were at this
time in operation, to form parties favourable to particu-
lar views of ambition, had arrived at a stage of wicked
maturity. Station and rank in the army, were not
considered so much f(»r the military defence of the coun-
try, as for Uie political elevation of individuals. Rival
candidates for the presidency contended who should se-
cure the most influential and active partisans ; and the
passions of these adherents were to be gratified by the
sacrifice of rivals, the separation of superiors, or the de-
pression of every man who was either not subservient, or
who maintained the dignity of self respect.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 629

It will be perceived by the secretarj^'s onler, that in his CFiVP.
hurry he had overlooked our post at Chateaugay Four ^'^
Corners, or forgot we had such a post, for his order is
confined to the cantonment at French Mills. I should
have been warranted by a strict observance of my orders,
in Icavin.ii: the former jj;arrison behind me, but as it would
have been exposed to the combined furce of the enemy at
Cornwall, Coteau de Lac, and east of the St. Lawrence;
to prevent fits being cut up, I withdrew it on my own re-
sponsibility; and a few days after, the enemy entered our Enomy ad-
t^rritory with a motly force of about 2000 men, compos- J^^ll^'^^i*/®
ed of regular troops, militia, and Indians, advanced to FourCor-
Chateaugay Four Corners, and ravaged the country for ^"^'
twenty miles round, to the great dismay and suffering of
the inhabitants. Yet these scenes, like those of the
straitof Niagara, were suffered to escape the attention of
the government. Some sensibility was manifested by the
public, in consequence of which, the elected representa-
tives of the people and the guardians of their rights, call-
ed upon the secretary to make a report; and never did a
legislative body receive a report, so replete with disre-
gard to its requisition, and to public and individual jus-
tice. Instead of a view of the military affairs and a rela-
tion of transactions, concerning which the representa-
tive body had sought for information, the chief officer of
the executive in the war department, did not condescend
to offer a single sentence of narrative or exposition ; but
taking the mass of correspondence in the war office, he
selected, garbled,* and put together a volume of those

• As an instance of the dexterity of the secretary of war at garb-
line, I will call the reader's attention to the following extract, taken
from the 67th page of tlie report laid before the House of Represen-
tatives, January 31, 1814, by the righteous President Madison.

Extract of a letter from Major-General fVilkinson to the secretary of war,
dated December 24<A, 1813.
<' I believe I have not hitherto transmitted you a copy of a commu-
nication which took place between Commodore Chauncey and myself,
the day before I sailed from French Creek, and I do it now to shew
you what were my anticipations of the movements of the enemy left

630 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, papers, wholly omitting some, and without explanation

^^^" of any, so arranged them that they were calculated to

deceive, rather than inform; but adapted to promote the

behmd me, and how delusive were all the promises made to me, that
my rear should be protected." The charitable object of this publica-
tion was to excite a hostility between Commodore Chauncey and my-
self, when it was in fact the delusive promises of the secretary that I
particularly alluded to.

It did not suit the policy of the secretary to publish the whole of
this letter, which I shall now offer to the public, because it would
have exposed some information to the House of Representatives,
which might have been satisfactory to them, and which it was his in-
terest to conceal.

" Head Quarters, Malone, 24;th December, 1813.
" Sir,

*• I have the honour to transmit you a copy of my correspondence,
with Sir George Prevost, respecting the system of retaliation forced
upon us by the conduct of the British government ; and also touching
parole exchange, in which the baronet does not in my judgment exhi-
bit that broad liberality, which his rank and station bespeak.

" We have as yet experienced neither injury nor insult from the
enemy, and if I rightly interpret appearances, he would most readily
enter into a suspension of hostilities for the winter.

" Our occupancy of the French Mills in the vicinity of the St. Law-
rence with our main force, has produced the embarrassments which I
anticipated, and obliged the enemy to weaken his upper posts, in order
to protect his settlements opposite to that position. With three posts
we form a cordon from the St. Lawrence to Lake Champlain, approxi-
mate the enemy and cover our own settlements, while this chord of 64
miles obliges him to maintain a chain of ten or twelve posts, on the
segment of a circle, extending from the Isle aux Noix in front of our
right wing, to Cornwall on our left flank, a distance of about 150
miles.

" Our cantonment near the St. Lawrence being put in a state of se-
curity against any attack of the enemy, my next attention will be car-
ried to the Four Corners, where, in the course of a month, I flatter
myself we shall be in a situation to bid defiance to the combined force
of the enemy, from.Chateaugay to St John's inclusive.

•' The spirits of the troops composing the division of the St. Law-
rence appear to be invincible, and in spite of the evils they experience,
they are gaining health ; these evils may be comprised under a few
heads, viz. in a scanty allowance of lavwholesome bread; the flour
which was deposited long ago at Plattsburg, and exposed since to the
weather, by Major-general Hampton, every barrel of it having been
damaged, and the deppt now exhausted ^ le.iving us in this quarter.

•m

GENERAL WILKINSON. 631

object which he then contemplated, and for which every chap.
other interest was set aside; tliat of the appointment of '^'^'•
a lieutenant-general, to which the secretary of war as-

of such as it is, a few days on hand without a prospect of a supply, as
I understand Mr. Thorn, co-contractor, from the quarter of Lake
Champlain. My requisitions founded on the contract, might have
prevented this evil, but for the interpodtion of your instructions, to Mr.
Anderson, of the 2d instant, -which I do conceive -would render any
further interference on viy part improper; unless it be to accelerate
and facilitate the operations of Mr. Thorn by every means in my pow-
er, who to do him justice appears zealous and active, and has gone
post to Utica, backed by the authority of the quarter-master general,
in order to hasten forward a supply from that quarter ; in the mean
time we must resort to musty buiscuit, of which, 1 understand, a quan-
tity had been found at Plattsburg, exposed to the weather like all
other public property at that place.

" 2d. The great deficiency and very bad quality of medicines and

hospital stores.

«« 3d. The want of pay, the public being in arrears to some of their

corps from the 1st of July, and to the remainder from the 1st of Sep-
tember; I fear bad consequences from this defect, because discharged
men returning home with arrearages due, may spread reports inju-
rious to the recruiting service, and the unprincipled part, among
those whose terms of service do not soon expire, may be tempted to
desert, and

««4th, Winter clothing, to include blankets, flannel shirts, great

coats, a large stock of strong socks, with woollen caps and mittens ;
without the three last articles, we can make no enterprise upon the
enemy, nor can the men mount guard, without exposing their ears,
toes, and fingers to be frost bitten.

«• I believe I have not hitherto transmitted you a copy of a commu-
nication which took place between Commodore Chauncey and myself,
the day before I sailed from French Creek, and I do it now to shew
you what were my anticipations of the movements of the enemy left
behind me, and how delusive were all the promises made me, that my
rear should be protected.

"To enforce the principles of subordination and discipline, and to
see duty regularly performed, aiajor Pinkney, whom I h.ive named
as an adjutant-general in place of Walbach, agreeably to your propo-
sition at Sackett's Harbour, has taken his station at the French Mills,
and is- the only officer of that appointment to 10,000 men, at present
on this station ; and as Major Johnson, the assistant inspector, has
lately died, and we have no officer here, at the head of that depart-
ment, I shall appoint Major Cumniings to perform the duty, and do
recommend him to you for confirmation in the appointment, as I find
him an officer qualified to reach the highest grades of his profes-

63g

CHAP.
XIV.

View of
the inci-
dents on
the west-
ern fron-
tier and
strai of
Niasrara.

MEMOIRS BY

pired ; the measure beyond all doubt would have suc-
ceeded, had not anc.ther minister at the same time been
in competition for the same station ; by this conflict of
personal ambition, the public was rescued from the
additional burthen; for the rivals arknowledejed by
their conduct that the office was wholly unnecessary,
each rather opposing its creation, than consenting to
see his rival elevated. Such was the spirit of patriotism
and virtue which pervaded our public councils, pending
a war, the issue of which was yet uncertain ; and when
the national funds were in effect exhausted.

From this painful retrospect, I shall proceed to take a
desultory view of the incidents on the western frontier of
the state' of New York, and tlie strait of Niagara, during
the winter and the campaign of 1814. I regret that my

slon, should his life be spared. I thank God I have conquered my dis-
ease, and without a relapse, hope to mount my horse in two weeks ; I
wish I could say as much for General Izard, whose life has been in ex-
treme danger, and who is incapable of any kind of dmy, and must leave
the district so soon as he can be moved in a sleigh. Then this most
critical command of 10,000 men, say 13,000, including the various
posts of the district, will be left in my charge with a single briga-
dier-general to assist me, and he, though energetic, zealous and
trave, a soldier o( Jive months standing, and of course, in a great mea-
sure ignorant of tha organization, formation, and combination of military
bodies, and indeed of the general principles of duty and service. You
perceive I have given up all ideas of abandoning my command, and
having made myself master of every direct approach, and every de-
vious route to the enemy, in my front and on my left flank, by land
and water, I should prefer to finish in May next the work 1 have be-
gun; but if the war in this quarter is to be prosecuted, no matter whoi
conducts it, the preparations should be now begun, that operations
may be commenced the moment the winter breaks, say early in April:
then by two simple distinct operations, by different routes hitherto-
unknown, yet very obvious. Upper Canada may be reduced and posses-,
sion taken of Montreal, probably by the 1st, certainly before the 20th:
of June.

" I have no letters from you since the 25th ultimo.

" With perfect respect, I have the honour to be. Sir,
" Your obedient servant,

" JA. WILKINSON.

" The Hon. John Armstrong, Secretary of War.'"

(GENERAL WILKINSON. 639

means of Int'onnatiori rtspocting tlie transactions in this CHAP.
quarter, are iicitljer so ample, nor so particular, as to ^'^•
enable me to enliven the narrative and interest the read-
er, to the extent my inclinations would lead uie ; but from
the general character of Geneial Brown, and the va-
rious misrepresentations in which he has been detected
by Commodore Chauncey, Major-general Ripley, Cap-
tain Treat lately of the army, and other persons, no con-
fidence can be placed in his official reports; and the Misrepre-
lights which should distinguish truth from falsehood in in,"puJed'^
such cases, seem to have been so sedulously obscured, not to Gene-
only by the actual spectators, but by the national execu- j,, his offi-
tive, that we must look forward to a period when intrigue c«ai re-
and corruption, shall have ceased to inti rposr an impene-
trable veil between the people and their public concerns,
before the merits of those transactions will be developed;
at present all that can be gathered consists of detached
fragments, wliich have by the force of circumstances
broken through the obstructions, by which the general
history has been obscured.

In the autumn of 1814, Colonel R. Nicholas presented Case of
a written complaint to the secretary of war, impeaching Herkimer
the veracity of General Brown in a variety of instances, and tiie u.
which he offered to prove, and demanded an inquiry. But teers.
a compliance with this fair claim, would not comport with
the established system of corrupt intrigue. Col. Nicholas
was promoted, the complaint stifled, and the General
screened from public exposition ; which was all that the
moral justice of the executive of a republic deemed neces-
sary. The same scene of national honour and character
prevailed, in repelling the force of Commodore Chaun-
cey*s manly letter, and the recorded outrage of military
honour and public justice in the case of Captain Joseph
Treat.*

There is another case not less remarkable, in which the
voice of truth, and the honour and the feelings of a respect-
able officer and his corps, have experienced from Presi-

• See Appendix, No. V.
VOL. I. 4 L

634 MEiMOIRS BY

CHAP (lent Madison the same cold contempt. The gallant
^'^' Major Herkimer, a relative of the revolutionary hero of
the same name, made the complaint suhjoined to tiie Pre-
sident of the United States, on the 1st July, 1813; and
on the 19th their complaints were answered by the pro-
motion of General Brown. ^

To THE Hon. John Armstrong, Secretary or War.

« Sacketfs Harbour, July ist, 1813.
« Sir,

« The official communication of General Brown to the
secretary of war, relative to the attack on this post by the
enemy on the 29th May last, has at length made its ap-
pearance in tlie public prints. I am constrained, from a
duty 1 owe to myself and the volunteers at present under
my command, to state that the communication is so re-
plete with incorrectness and misrepresentations, as to as-
tonish all who were present and eye witnesses to the en-
gageAent. I feel sensible. Sir, that every officer of rank
ought to be treated with respect, so long as he gives those
their due wlio are placed under his command ; but when
an officer will for selj-aggrandi'zement, or the hope of pro-
' motion, stoop to meanness — thereby injuring the reputation

and feelings of those who have volunteered their services to
their country at an enormous sacrifice, and who are and
have been willing at all times to undergo the fatigues and
deprivations of a camjmign, his conduct merits the most
pointed animadversion.

" 1 shall now proceed to state, in as concise a mannei'
as the nature of the case will admit of, the transactions.

"On the evening of the 28th May, General Brown
came to Horse Island, (where the volunteers were sta-
tioned) and ordered Colonel Mills, (who then commanded
the volunteers,) that in case of an attack from the ene-
my, to retreat immediately from the island and join him
and tlie militia on the main land, immediately opposite
the island, near one mile distant from the Harbour,
(where the regular troops were stationed,) and in case
the enemy were too powerful, to retreat into the woods.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 635

foiin and keep up a retreating fire until Joined by the chap.
regulars. xiv.

« At daybreak on the morning of the 29th, the enemy ^"^"^^^^^
were discovered to make for the island with their ship-
ping and boats; Colonel Mills immediately ordered the
regiment to be forn)ed, which being done lie marched
them off the island and joined General Brown with his
militia.

*< It will be necessary here to observe, that the volun-
teer regiment at this time consisted of not more than 150
effective men.

"Having joined the General, we were ordered to take
our stand on the margin of the lake, where the enemy
were obliged to land j the militia on our left and rear. It
is true that General Brown ordered the volunteers to re-
serve their fire until every shot should hit its object. In
this particular he was punctually obeyed ; not a gun was
fired until the enemy had come within CO paces, when Co-
lonel Mills ordered the men to fire ; they commenced
firing, and discharged their pieces from three to four
times each, until the enemy were within three rods of
our line. JVot a man of the volunteer corps had left his
post or had the most distant idea of retreating, if it can be
judged correctly from appearances. At this time, Colonel
Mills very prudently ordered a retreat; not, however, before
it was discovered that the principal part of the militia had
retreated into the woods.

« The volunteers having ceased firing, did not retreat
in that perfect order that could be wished. This, how-
ever, was impracticable, owing to the trees and bushes
being cut down in the woods last winter, to prevent the
enemy (in case of an attack) from making a rapid de-
scent upon the Harbour, in consequence of which, some
of the men got scattered, but principally all joined
after getting through the woods. On the retreat. Colonel
Mills received a ball through his left breast, and almost in-
stantly died.

« The volunteers, agreeably to orders, retreated to the
woods, formed, and kept up a retreating fire, until they

636 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, joined tlie regulars and some militia, at the upper end ot

X V .

the barrficks, where they fought, excepting part of two
companies, who were ordered to join some of the remain-
ing militia on our left, until the enemy retreated.

" Tlius, Sir, I have given you a brief and concise state-
ment of facts, which / presume General Brown will not
undertake to deny, and should he, it shall be satii^Jactorihj
proven.

«It is impossible, Sir, to describe the feelings of the
volunteers on this occasion, wjiose objects were strictly
to attend to their duty, hotl> in and out of the field. Be-
sides the foregoing mistatements. General Brown has com-
mitted others, which, whether done through malice or igno-
rance, are unpardonable, alluding particularly to the kill-
ed, wounded and missing; it is impossible that the General
in this instance could be mistaken, being Jiirni shed by myself
with a return of the killed, wounded, and missing. He
States in his official communication, that one man of the
volunteers cndy was killed, whproufi four were killed; nor
does he make mention of the wound which the brave Cap-
tain Collins received through his shoulder with a musket
ball, although the General frequently spoke to Captain Col-
lins on the subject of his wound, and with whom he was
intimately acquainted. Of the missing, a number were
taken prisoners and carried to Canada, which we have
8incc learnt from one of the volunteers, who was sent
back from Kingston, owing to the wounds he received in
the engagement.

« The General forgets, in his zeal to do justice to a few
of the regulars, to make the smallest mention of the ex-
ertions of our patriotic few, who withstood the attack of
the enemy, and is totally silent with respect to the militia,
whom he so bitterly condemned the day after the action,
hit from recent occurrences, it is to be presumed he was
taught what to write.

« It will be recollected, that from the British official
account, and from our own observations, that the enemy-
landed from 1000 to 1500 regular trooi>s, the flower of
the British army. No officer in his common senses.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 887

would have considered it prudent to have made longer cn\P.
resistance at this place, unless speedily reinforced, (of '^'^
which there was not the smallest prospect) than the vo-
lunteers did.

*< It behoves every commandin,:^ officer, under those
circumstances, to report to the secretary of war, the
transactions as Ihey have occurred. fVhy the GeneralfOr
for what reason has made no mention of Majors Laval, (the
commandant of the dragoons on foot) who first entered
the woods, and Aspinwall of the regulars^ and some others
tvho fought with the utmost bravery, is best known to him-
self. The General has laboured to stigmatize the volun-
teer regiment as ujucli as possible, and not knowing how
to do it with truth on his side, he has resorted to a mean and
incorrect statement, as is well known to every officer and
soldier who were present during the action, and well
known to the General himself. It can be satisfactorily
proven in the most solemn manner, that the General did
say after the battle, that the vobinteers had fought well and
done their duty; and why this wilful and malicious slander,
is best known to himself. He has wounded the feelings of
both officers and soldiers, who arc conscious they have
done their duty, and bore the severities of the battle; he
has disheartened them by classing them with the militia^
calling them raw troops unaccustomed to subordination.
"In order to refute this charge, I appeal to Generals
Dearborn and Chandler, both of whom have had com-
mand at this post, and inspected the volunteervS, and pro-
nounced them under as good discipline and subordination,
as any of the regulars who were in the Harbour. The
brave General Pike, likewise, (were he living) would
give him the lie on that point; he was anxious to have
the volunteer regiment attached to his brigade, and go >
with him on his first expedition, there not being room
enough in the fleet for the w hole corps, only a part went,
who were noticed for their brave conduct, because it was
their good fortune to fight under generals, who were
willing to give credit to all who deserved it; we were un-

g38 MEMOIRS BY

fortunate, it was our misfortune (in a time which tried
men's souls) to be placed under the command of a militia
general undisciplined,

« JOHN HERKIMER, Major,

Com'g. U. S. volunteers.
« We, the undersigned officers in the United States vo-
lunteer regiment, do certify, that we were in the engage-
ment alluded to in the foregoing statement, and that it is
substantially correct.

« SAM'L. PARSONS, Mjutant

« THOS. COLLINS, Captain,

« JOHN PHILIPS, do.

« GILES KELLOGG, do,

« CHESTER GRISWOLD, do.

« DAVID MOYER, do.

« ALEX'N. DUNLAP, do.

« I. H. MARSHALL, Lieiit. U. S. vol

« JOHN FURMAN, do.

*i JOHN F. WENDALL, do.

"JAMES PARKER, do,

«<JOSEPH WOOD, do.

« CURTISS THORP, U Lieut:>

After a perusal of these facts, selected from many
others, let it be remembered and recorded in every pa-
triot bosom, that Major-general Brown was selected by
President Madison and the secretary of war, « for his
approved moral character," nat only to take the com-
mand of the army of the United States, but O most odious
outrage of common decencij! they appointed him to preside
at a conclave of junior officers, with authority to decide
upon the military character and merits of men, who had
grown grey in the public service, and were defending the
interests of their country, while he was notf)riously em-
ployed in violating its laws, for the advancement of his
private fortune.

The process for reducing the army bears a remark-
able contrast, with the avowed purposes of Congress,

GENERAL WILKINSON. 639

tlie spirit of the government, and the professions of chap.
the executive. Never was there a departure iVom the ^^^'
intention of the government and the letter of the law, ^■^'^''^*^
more glaring or more preposterous. The duty which the
constitution assigns to the executive magistrate, has been
by the usage of late years, parcelled out to agents never
contemplated at the formation of the government; and
this has begotten a system of sub-delegation in several
successive stages, until the form of the government to-
tally disappears, and the worst features of despotism re-
gulate and determine the most important public con-
cerns. However judicious it might have been to have
placed in the hands of the superior officers of the army,
the selection of those whose talents, services and worth
were most useful to the country ; yet in this case Ge-
neral Brown's incompetency was well understood: his
artificial popularity might be profitably used, and there-
fore he was called on to perform a part, which had been
previously prepared for him at the war office ; he was a
mere counter for the play of political gamblers; but ano-
ther auxiliary was absolutely necessary to give shape and
plausibility to the works of a band of military empirics,
and therefore the exterior functions of the war ministry
were united with those of the public treasury, in the
person of the iionourable A. J. Dallas, esq. This gen-
tleman as chancellor of the exchequer, had already ex-
cited universal admiration by the display of fiscal ta-
lents, and it was deemed necessary, that he should supply
the defects of the military board, and the want of dex-
terity in the minister whom he had relieved from res-
ponsibility On the seventeenth of May, 1815, he issued
from the war office an official paper, uniting more plausi-
bility and determined insincerity, than can be found per-
haps on the records of our government. It is in govern-
ments worn out by vice and age, that such polished hy-
pocrisy is the common currency; it was an unusual
refinement upon premeditated insult, which flattered a
gallant body of men for their generosity and their valour,
and in the next breath sacrificed the best to the passions

640 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, and interests of tlie very worst of men. By such means lias
^^^' the honourable profession of arms been infleliblj stained,
and tlie purity of a republic tarnished^ to reward the de-
votion of flatterers and political instruments, and to sus-
tain the projects of a half disguised and grinding oligar-
chy. Thus the soldier's honour, once the emblem of
chastity, has been polluted by the association of impure
agents, to smooth the path which leads to the chief ma-
gistracy of a representative republic. I ask pardon of
my readers for this digression, and for the feelings which
the course of my reflections have irresistibly called forth.
Where the honour of his country is compromitted, the
sensibility of every true American is awakened and
warmed, but particularly that of a citizen of the revolu-
tion : I have yielded to a dutiful impulse, aud will now
resume my narrative,

I have heard it alleged in different quarters, as
the opinion of some persons whom I highly respect,
that although it is admitted, that great faults have been
committed in the military operatiuns on tlie straits of
Niagara, in the campaign of 1814 ; that although it
may be shewn, that misrepresentations have been stu-
diously and artfully employed, in the place of truth,
as they respect both men and measures ; yet as the
events alt<)gether have exalted the military character of
the country, aud expanded the national fame, it would
be impolitic, to strip the mask from the face of impos-
ture, or to call the public attention to the simplicity of
historical truth. I cannot however subcribe to these opi-
nions, because an exposition will not impair that which
does not depend upon false representations, and which is
the more securely and honourably established when truth
and justice form its basis. The casuists of the present
day appear to have forgotten tliat the war of the revo-
lution, and the armies led by Washington, had not only
established our national renownf but resisted and even
vanquished the force of Great Britain. It is there-
fore essential to the national safety and honour, as
well as to the cause of justice, which never shrinks from

GENERAL WILKIJVSON. 611

tlic lis^ht of truth, that the competency of tlioir servants ciiap.
should be well understood by the people, to the end that ^'^'
public trust may be safely deposited j and vvliatcvcr may
be tiic spirit or temper of the times, five years strict in-
vestigation of my own ciiaracter and conduct, have taught
mc to consign concealments to those, who aspire to place
and power by indirect means, and arc content to enjoy
the fruits of their aspirations, by the sacrifice of tliat
manly independence, which I appreciate above all the ho-
nours and riches of a vain transitory existence.

With these pi Lnciplos for my guide, [ shall enter upon
the developement of the occurrences in the north in 1814,
with a sincere desire to impart to the reader, without pre-
judice or bias, the facts and incidents which have been
reported to me, and are deemed worthy of credit; beg-
ging him to bear in mind, that I write from the informa-
tion of men, whose veracity I have no cause to question.

I have in the preceding part of this chapter cited an Reasons
order from the war department of the 20th Jan. 1814, for'bi^elk'
under the express authority of the President, by which ingupthr
the cantonment at the French Mills w^as precipitately iY^n^ch
broken up, on the pretence of a regard to the safety of ^^^^s.
the troops and to ulterior operations, which afterwards
appeared to be the immediate defence of Sackett's Har-
bour, or the attack of Kingston from that place. General
Brown marched from the French Mills on the 13th Feb.
with a corps of about 2000 men of his oivn selectioUf and General
as the secretary of war soon after took him under his ceives the
especial orders, nothing worthy of note fell under my ow n especial
observation. But on the 9th of March, General Brown of the se-
stated to a subordinate otticer, that he had received or- cretary.
ders from General Armstrong, to move with his division
from Sackett's Harbour, and invest Fort Niagara ; that
he was to be joined there by Colonel Scott, and that Go-
vernor Tompkins was to co-operate with 5000 militia.
The same officer was immediately despatched to Albany, Des-
in quest of munitions of war, with orders to report him- 1^ o^cer
self to Colonel Scott, and to make known to him all the to Albany
wants of the division ; and in case he (Scott) should not
VOL, I. 4 M

613 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, have received his instructions from the war department
^'^' then the officer was to reveal to Governor Tompkins the
on a par- movements and expectations of the General ', in the mean
ticular time the troops were trudging on tow^ards Niagara through
service ^^^^^ ^^^^j ^^^^^^ ^^^^j ^^^j ^^^^ water. On arriving at Al-
bany, General Brown's messenger found Colonel Scott
was not in the secret, and that his excellency was equally
ignorant of the project of the march upon Niagara. In
this state of embarrassment, the officer received an order
from General Brown, bearing date the 21st of March, to
post back to Sackett's Harbour, to whicli place the corps
to wjiich he belonget] was retrograding; and a few days
after he received another letter from the General, dated
the 26th, commanding him to repair forthwith to Bata-
via. To account for these apparent caprices, this ludi-
crous but woful marching and countermarching, it will
be net essary to raise the veil of mystery, and expose to
the reader the orders of the secretary of war to General
Brown, contained in the following letters, which have
been handed to me as being substantially if not literally
correct; and are under thoso circumstances, submitted to
the public, in the belief tliat they can produce no harm,
and may serve as a lesson to young generals.

« War Department, Feb. 21sf, 1814.
A peep at ** Public scutiment will no longer tolerate the posses-
General giQu Qf pQi-t Niagara by the enemy. You will therefore
orders. move the division which you brought from French Mills,
and invest that post. Governor Tompkins will co-ope-
rate with you with 5000 militia, and Colonel Scott, who
is to be made a brigadier, will join you. You will receive
your instructions at Onondaga hollow."

The above was inclosed in another letter from Gene-
ral Armstrong, the contents of which are as follow.

« War Department f Feb. Zlst, 1814.

*' You will immediately consult with Commodore

CUauncey, about the readiness of the fleet for a descent

GENERAL WILKINSON. 643

on King<?fon, the moment the ice leaves the lake. If he CHAP.
deems it pracficable, and you think you have troops ^'^•
eno(iji;h to carry it, yoi^pwHl attempt the expedition. ^'^'>^>-^

*' Jn such an event, you will use the inclosed as a ruse
de guerre.'*

From these orders, the mistake appears to have been
a natural one; for as General Brown well knew that tlie
attack of Kiri,^ston with his force woidd iiave heen Quix-
otic, he might fairly conclude that, tlie secretary's letter on
that sdhject, w^s mere matter of badinage; and besides, a8
the lake was not generally free for navigation before the
20th of April, he had time enough hpfore him to take Nia-
gara, and be ready for Kingston in good season. The Ge-
neral, however, although his army was to defend Sackett's
Harbour or attack Kingston, mistook the false point of
attack for the real one, and marched away to Onondaga
hollow ; where, having waited four days for tlie promised
instructions, without receiving any, he began to suspect
that there must be some mistake, and finally submitted
his despatches, as I am informed, to Colonel Gaines,
whose mental optics being organised differently from
those of the General, he detected the error; whereupon
our commander immediately countermarched his divi-
sion to Sackett's Harbour. This retrograde movement
perplexed the newsmongers; and whether it was from the
sneers which appeared in the public prints, or what other
cause I know not, General Brown, soon after his return
to the Harbour, once more set off for the westward, and
made good his march to Buffaloe.

Not long after his arrival at his new station, I am in-
formed General Brown received a laconic note from the
secretary of war, of the following import : — " Fou hare
committed a great mistake^ but the first duty of a young ge-
neral is to profit from his blunders. You have permission to
remain at JX'iagara." Far removed from the right and
centre of the army. General Brown was now left to form
his troops, and to project expeditions, until about the 15th

641 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, of June, when I understand he received another letter
^'^' from the secretary of war, to the following effect : " You
have permission to carry Fort Eri^f and heat up the ene-
my's quarterns at Chippewa; but in case his feet gets the
control of Lake Ontario, you are immediately to recross
the strait.'* If this information be correct, and I shall
lielieve it until it is disproved, or if it be substantially
correct, the community will be enabled to estimate the
providence which directed, and the objects and ends pro-
posed to be attained by tins expedition into Upper Ca-
Result of nada j whereby 1500 or 2000 brave men and Several offi-

theexpe- ^ of Conspicuous worth, were lost to their country and
dition into ^ • . i

Canada, their families; andaffer many efforts of distinguished valour,

l^^j^l^^^'^' dratvnforth by self defence only, terminated precisely where
thereon, it began', with the slaughter of three or four thousand of
the human species, and the exaltation of a few indivi-
duals!— and for wiiat?— mere/?/ /or resisting courageously
the dangers which they had themselves voluntarily sought,
with no other visible motive hit to measure strength with
the enemy. All the high titled honours, lavish eulo-
giums, and servile adulation which succeeded those scenes
of heedless, headlong carnage, were contrived by self
love and fostered by political artifice, to dazzle the mul-
titude, and delude the public judgment, hy a display of
events, which, when stripped of false colourings and exa-
mined on their naked merits, must be ascribed more to
the ignorance of the enemy, than to the skill of our own
generals; unless, indeed, personal intrepidity and matcli-
less resolution be converted into military skill — for there-
in the American soldier emulated the conduct of his an-
cestors at Bennington, at King's Mountain, Stoncy Point,
Patilus' Hook, the Cowpcns and Eutavv.

This view of transactions which have been celebrated
with enthusiasm, may not be acceptable to every palate;
but as an independent citizen of these states, deeply inte-
rested in their future fortunes; as a man who in his ad-
versity can hold himself above patronage, popularity, or
the favour of faction, I shall with mj humble means un-
ceasingly oppose the current of corruption, which me-

GENERAL WILKINSON. 645

naces the constitrition, and if not seasonably checked, chap.
will leave to the citizen little more than the forms of the ^'^
government.

I despise mystery, intrigue and hypocrisy, and ardent-
ly desire to see imposture deprived of its mask, and ar-
tificial characters stripped of their borrowed plumes. I
have therefore, in the exposition of abuses, unhesitatingly
disclosed whatever I have in my conscience believed to be
true. The battalions who fought at Chippewa, at Bridge-
water, and at Erie, earned much more distinction than
they have received ; the names of those corps should
have been perpetuated on the peace establishment, with-
out respect to numerical order; the old 1st, the 9th, the
21st, the 23d and the 25th regiments should never have
been abolished ; some mark of distinction should have
been attached to tlicir standards, and the men and offi-
cers should have been distinguished by medals and badges
of honour. I do not recognise these particular corps to
the exclusion of others, but because it was their fortune
to be most prominent ; the companies of artillery en-
gaged on those occasions, should also have received
some marks of permanent distinction. This would have
had the effect to keep them always full, and would have
been a guarantee of future glory ; but such manly, libe-
ral ideas did not accord with the narrow policy and cor-
rupt intrigues of Mr. Madison and his counsellors; an
electoral vote was of more value in their estimation,
than the honour of the whole army; and certain officers
were retained with reference to the influence of elections
only In crossing tlic strait of Niagara as he did. Gene- Risk in-
ral Brown played a desperate game of hazard, to which Q^'i^gr^l'^
General Ripley was decidedly opposed : he committed Brown in
the troops confided to his conduct, but the enemy out- ^^^51^1
blundered him, and he was saved. It is true the public of Nia-
was amused witii the idea, that this expedition was in- ^^'^
tended against Fort George, against Burlington heights, and
even against Kingston, and General Bi'own's letters to the
secretary of war and to Commodore Chauncey are cal-
culated to countenance the imposition; but military men

646 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, knew that a corps of 3000 or 5500 combatants, without
^'^' battering cannon, portable magazines, or even a baggage
train, could neither carry on a siege, nor make extensive
incursit»ns into the territory of the enemy. Yet facts are
necessary to inform the mass of society, and these were
carefully concealed by the government.

I beg leave in this place to apprise the reader, that
whenever an orders official letter, pr movement of Gene-
ral Brown is mentioned, it must be clearly understood,
that such order, letter or movement received the sanction
of Brigadier-general Scott; — because, although General
Brown possesses an unusual share of obstinacy and pre-
sumption, he was not insensible of General Scott's supe-
rior information and experience, and he was also aware
that Scott, in a short campaign at Washington the pre-
ceding winter, by commuting services with the war mi-
nister, and patjing his court at the palace, had establish-
ed a dominant influence in the cabinet, which was per-
fectly understood by the army, and even manifested itself
upon Governor Tompkins.

From the best information I possess, it appears, that
General Brown crossed the strait of Niagara on the 2d
and 3d of July, with about 3500 men ; his first brigade
directly from Black Rock, and the second crossing the
arm of the lake, landed to the westward of Fort Erie, at
Deficiency two miles distance. This movement was attended with
poi-t such a deficiency of transport, that I understand the first

brigade and the artillery required several trips to cross
the strait at Black Rock; and the second brigade could
not land more than 100 men at a time.* Such was his pro-

* Extract from the statement of Major Noon, an officer of great
responsibility :

" On the night of the 3d July, 1814, General Ripley crossed the
Niagara with his brigade, above Fort Erie, and landed his men in
good order, notwithstanding the embarrassing situation the General
had been placed in for want of means of transportation, having only
two gun boats and two small boats for the crossing of his whole bri-
gade. The gun boats could not get nearer the Canada shore than
about three quarters of a mile, and the small would not contain more
than fifty men each. Fortunately for the General, the enemy made no

GENERAL WILKINSON. 6*7

x-'idencCf and such the efficiency of the quarter-master's oiiAP.
department. The enemy must necessarily have lureseen '^•^
this movement, yet no measure was taken to prevent the .,.,^^
descent, although General Rial, three days afterwards, my's want
I'elt himself sufficiently strong to attack Brown's com- pr,acJ"nj
Lined force; and what is still more extraordinary, the f»il of
British general left a garrison of 100 men at Fort Erie,
which was in a defenceless condition, to surrender with-
out resistance. Now as General Brown had been at Buf-
faloc near three months, forming and equipping his force
fur tiiis expedition, surely the British general during
that period, s^iiould have determined either to strengthen
Fort Erie, or withdraw the garrison ; he did neither, and
of consequence sacrificed one hundred men, and gave
confidence to the enemy; but if General Rial had mask-
ed his movements, and taken a position in the forest nortli
of Fort Erie, within striking distance of General Brown's
points of debarkation, he could have prevented the de-
scent or cut him up in detail. Yet, although an intrepid
soldier, he preferred his position at Chippawa, and suf-
fered General Brown to land his whole force without op-
position— Fort Erie surrendered after the ceremony of a
few shot. The reader is referred to the Atlas, No. XV-
for a view of the theatre of these operations.

I have not been able to discover what were General General
Brown's orders of march, battle, or encampment; but on detaches
the 4th he divided his forces, and ordered his first bri- 'ess than
gado with Towson's artillery, to advance on the enemy, fovce to
unsupported by the second. This corps marched under ^'^^■•''"ce
Brigadier-general Scott by the main road on the margin wiioie
of the river, and after some skirmishing: took a position [f'"'^^ ^^

' <3 » tlie ene

with Street's creek in his front and on his left, and the my.

river on his right ; the distance from the enemy one and

an half miles, and from his main body, composed of the

2d brigade, the park, the New York and Pennsylvania

resistance on our landing, or be must have lost a great number of his
men, as he could not land at a time more than ojne liundred men.

" D, NOON, Major 41st Infantry.
" Mbavij_ im March, 1815."

64« MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, volunteers and the Indians, being about 15 miles. By
y^^I^^ this movement General Brown offered the enemy an ad-
vantage, of which he did not profit ; being in possession
of the country, with a horde of Indians and irregulars at
his disposal, General Rial could have watched the move-
ments of the 1st brigade, and advancing under cover of
the forest on the left flank of that corps, he could have
chosen his ground and attacked it under march, with
great advantage j while the main body and the comman-
der in chief were too remote to have afforded relief. But
General Rial still kept his position behind Chippawa

creek General Brown arrived at General Scott*s camp

at Street's creek, about midnight on the 4th July, and en-
camped in the dark. — Brigadier-general Porter with the
volunteers and Indians, got up the next morning. By a
reference to the diagram No. XI. the reader may be ena-
bled to form some idea of this encampment, and of the
action of the 5th July.
An oppor- At this stage of the expedition an advantage was pre-
senis to sented to the enemy, in its nature so obvious, so practica-
Generai \^\q^ and SO conclusivc, that it seems wonderful, it should
which he have escaped the observation of the British commander.
could gy taking up the bridge of Chippawa he secured his
stBoyed front, and from the length and depth of that river, and
General ^j^^ obstruction of the swamps which skirted it. General

Brown

without a Brown could not, with his artillery, have been able to
Mow. ^ypj^ ijjg exposed flank, in less than two or three daysj in
the mean time General Rial should have fallen back upon
Qucenstown, leaving behind him a light party to keep up
appearances ; the necessary field train should have been
held in readiness at Fort Niagara, from whence a de-
tachment should have been ordered up to Levvistown, to
drive off parties of observation from its vicinity, and the
artillery should have followed it. Boats should have been
ordered up in the twilight from Fort George, and the
British general, after night fall, should have crossed at
Queenstovvn, and by an easy march, after detaching 500
men to the vicinity of Fort Schlosser, and posting videttes
along the right bank of the river, to watch the motions of

GENERAL WILKINSON. 6I9

the American army,- he miglit the next afternoon have chap
round himself in quiet possession, of General Brown's iin- ^'^
protected magazines and heavy haggagc at Biiffaloe. The
simplicity and facility of this operation requires no tacti-
cal knowledge for its comprehension ; the route is ex-
plained on the map No. 15, by the road from Chippewa
down to A, the passage of the river to C, and tiie march
from thence hy the great road to Buffaloe; wdiich will be
l)erfectly understood by every man, who can march down
one side of a river, cross it at a given point, and march
«p on the other. And what would have been the effect of
ihis change of positions ? General Rial and the British
corps would have subsisted on our magazines, whilst
General Brown who had improvidently advanced upon
the enemy, before he had made a depot of provisions in
the invaded country, and depended on Buffaloc for his daily
subsistence, without craft to recross the strait, would
have been reduced to tlie sad alternative of surrendering
at discretion, or attempting to majte good his retreat to
Detroit; by vvhicli he probably would liave lost one-half of
his men, and the residue would have been worn out and
heart broken. The feasibility of this enterprise is appa-
rent on the face of the map. The enemy could have mag-
nified his numbers, a panic would have spread through
the neiglibouring settlements, and before a sufficient force
could have been assembled and organized, to drive the
invaders into their strong holds, at Niagara and Fort
George, General Brown's fate would have been deter-
mined. But it pleased the Almighty to direct things
otherwise, and the troops thus inconsiderately committed,
were saved by the blind confidence and ignorance of the
enemy ; and shall the honour and interests of the United
States be confided to such folly and temerity ? forbid it
Heaven ! forbid it my country !

1 will return to General Brown's encampment at
Street's creek, to which I must call the particular atten-
tion of the reader. General Scott, under the orders of
General Brown, and doubtless with his own approbation,
for he controlled him, marching from fort hrie with his bri-
VOL. 1. . 4 N

650 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, gade, advanced upon the enemy, and to use the language
^^"^ of General Brown, " selected with the eye of a soldier,"
Thede- this ground of encampment; I require no other evi-
fer.ts of dence of the inexpcrienceand incapacity of the two chiefs,
at^st^reet's f<>i' tl'c conduct of armies, than this movement and this
creek ex- camp; the movement exposed less than one-half of Gene-
^°*^ ' ral Brown's little army to be fallen upon in flank, front
or rear, after a fatiguing march, by tlie whole force of
the enemy, reckoned to be double in number, the result
of which migiit be readily anticipated ; and as to the
camp, it possessed no attribute of a judicious position,
offensive or defensive: formed in a narrow fork made by
the river and a deep miry creek, it was too contracted
even to encamp either the first or second brigade in al-
lignement; nor did it furnish room to form in order of
battle, or to change front. It was liable to be turned on
the left and attacked in rear, without being able to make
a counter movement, unless by passing a defile* in front,
or plunging through mud and water to t!ie armpits on the
left.f It was, moreover, subject to be cannonaded in front
and flank by light detachments, without the power to re-
sent the insult but by general movements in the same
direction. The guards were hemmed in by the enemy
from the adjacent forest, whose shot entered the camp;
in short it was exposed to attack on three sides, and was
free to action by the rear only; and to defend it the troops
would have been obliged to march and seek positions be-
yond their guards. Such was the camp of Street's creek,
agreeably to the information I have been able to collect
from General Brown's despatches, and several authentic
sources, conformably to which, the diagram No. XI.:j; was
projected. To relieve the camp from the reiterated in-

* The bridge across Street's creek.

I The same creek on the left which was found to be impassable to
horses by the second brigade, and bathed the men to the armpits in
their passage of it.

+ This diagram is imperfect, but will serve to convey a general
idea of the action; Scott's brigade was extended to the left, and Ma
jor Jesup's battalion was thrown in to the edge of the wood.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 051

suits or the enemy's irregulars, lirigadicr-gencral Porter chap.
of the militia, with about 800 volunteers and Indians, and -^'^•
a detachniewt of 80 men from the second brierade under ^^^""^^^
that intrepid and intelligent officer Captain W. Macdo- J'oncr ad-
riald, was ordered to advance from the rear, under cover \*!'"».*"'^

urives in a

of the forest, and to fall on their light parties. General p^riy of
Porter advajiccd, and about the point at the crossed my's'inl
swords, see diagram No. 11, he surprised a body of In- dians.
dians who appeared to be in consultation; they imme-
diately gave way, but keeping up a brisk skirmish, re-
treating to n a a, where they were strongly reinforced
by the enemy's troops, who in turn forced Porter to re-
treat. Captain Macdonald fell back to c, but was soon
obliged to leap a fence and form in d, from wiicnce he
descried the right of the main body of the enemy advan-
cing at /, before whom, his party being worn down by
the engagement with the enemy's irregulars, he retired
to camp.

Pending these operations and whilst Porter was warm- Meeting

ly engaged witii the British troops, Generals Brown and of G^ne-
•^ ^ ° ^ ' ralsBrown

Ripley causually met near Treat's house i, and the latter and Rip-
observed that Porter ought to be supported, as he con- '^y' ^^^°

•^ ir » wereafler-

ceived, from the firing, he must be engaged with the re- wards
gular troops of the enemy, which the latter appeared J°'"^'l ^y
to question ; General Scott riding «p at the instant, Scott.
Brown communicated Ripley's idea to him, which be
scouted and observed, that with 200 men he would beat
the whole of the enemy who were engaged j Brown how-
ever thought it advisable to be prepared, and directed
Scott to turn out his brigade, and the order had scarcely
been delivered, be&)re the advance of the enemy was dis-
covered. Captain Towson, who was attached to the first
brigade with three pieces, and was encamped at K, with
the decision which marks the character of this gallant
officer, immediately crossed the bridge and taking a sta-
tion near the river, opened his battery on the enemy be-
fore Scott's line was formed.

I understand the first brigade was forming for evening
exercise, when the order was given, aod yet the cucmy

65^

MEMOIRS BY

CHAP.
XIV.

The de-
fects of
the camp
illustrate
ed.

Battle of

Street's

creek.

was so close upon tlis carnp, that he opened hi:^ battery
and killed a number of men, as the column crossed the
bridge in front j here t!ie vigilance of the two chiefs and
the excellence of the camp is demonstrated beyond cavil;*
because it is a matter of fact, that to defend it, Gen. Scott
•was compelled to pass a defile in the face of the enemy,
and wheeling to his left between Street's house and barn, h,
if he passed down a lane and formed in order of battle in e,
with an impracticable creek in his rear; since war became
an art, surely, there never was a more unmilitary disposi-^
tion ; for if he had been overpowered by the enemy, and the
disparity of force warranted the conclusion, his men who
could not have escaped by the bridge, must have surren-
dered on the field, been cut to pieces or dispersed ; and if
it be really true, as is believed, that the enemy outnum-
bered the American line 600 men, iind had taken their
ground, while General Scott was crossing the bridge, no
military man will dispute, that had they advanced with-
out a halt, and resolutely appealed to the bayonet, the
first brigade must have sunk beneath their superior
weight, which would have cut short General Brown's ca-
reer, and with it terminated this campaign of errors and
accidents. It happened otiierwise, and fortunately for the
American army. General Ilial to the blunder of giving
battle, added that of not dosing with his adversary with-
out a pause. General Scott advanced with great intre-
pidity, although outflanked, after his intervals had been
extended to four-fold distance, and the two lines when ap-
proximated within short musket shot, resorted to the
effect of their fire, in which the American soldier, from
the habits of early life, will always excel; a warm, close
and bloody conflict of small arms and field artillery en-

* I would recommend to the young officer to compare this encamp-
meat with that of Major-general Izard, in the vicinity, the 14t]i Octo-
ber, 1814; and to beai» in mind that they were both offensive camps,
or intended as such ; and he may be able to distinguish between sound
knowledge and boastful pretensions, between the man of science and
the quack.

GENBBAI. WILKINSON. 853

sued, in wliich it wa8 the good fortune of the gallant
Towson, to silence the enemy's chief battery; at this cri-
tical juncture, General Rial took the resolution, whick
should have directed his conduct in the onset ; he deter-
mined to decide the contest with the bayonet, and com-
menced his charge, when Towson, relieved from the Captain
pressure of the opposed battery, found himself at leisure distin"'^
to turn his guns, and scour the adverse line with showers guished.
of canister. This oblique attack of the artillery and the
perpendicular fire of the American line was insupporta-
ble, and valourous troops yielded the palm and retreated
precipitately, leaving their killed and wounded on the
field, but carrying off their artillery ; comparing small
with great things, here, as at Minden, the fate of the day
was settled by the artillery, and the American Towson
may deservedly be ranked, with the British Philips,
Drummond and Foy.

This was an obstinate contest, fought on a plain and in
direct order, the simplicity of which presents few occa-
sions for the display of tactical skill ; it was literally a
trial of strength and courage, breast to breast, in which
the American arms triumphed. Brigadier-general Scott General
led his corps to the attack with conspicuous gallantry, in gaUantn
which he was supported by three field officers,* of whom displayed
it is no disparagement of the General, to say, they were A just
his inferiors in nought, but the accidental circumstance Majors Je
of rank. The contest for glory was ardent and uniform, sup. Lea-
from the ranks to the brigadier. But I understand it was & JrNeii
Major Jesup's fortune to be most closely engaged; press-
ed in front and flank, he found it necessary to appeal to
the bayonet and his antagonist recoiled.

Much honour was due to all actively engaged in this
sanguinary affair; but the exaggerated accounts of it,
have so far exceeded the bounds of modesty, and have
been so bloated by artifice, as to excite the disgust rather
than the admiration of military judges. To the battle of

* Majors Jesup, Leavenworth and M'Neil-

the late
one

654; MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. Ctippewa and the *' signal victory,^^* which attended it,
■^'^' a stranger would attach the idea of embattled hosts con-
tending for an empire; when in fact General Scott's line
consisted of barely 1,100 men and a company of artille-
ry, a colonel's command ; whilst the enemy have been es-
timated, and it is believed correctly, at 1,700; now if
the people of these states, were the most effeminate das-
tardly wretches on the globe j if a battle had never before
been fought or won in the country ; there could not have
been more puerile exultation or noisy boasting on the oc-
Eewards casion. In the revolutionary war, when a whole army
volutb^na ^^^^ Compelled to lay down its arms, after repeated bloody
ry war conflicts, we behold the Congress of the United States,
wiufthofe content to bestow a medal on the victorious chief only.
lavished in Nor, after the successful operations of the combined forces
of France and the United States, under the command of
General Washington, in the capture of the British army
under Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown, do we find a single

* Various and opposite accounts have been given of this action, as
will appear by the following' extracts, the last of which proves the.
writer's unhappy propensity to slander.

' Extract from General Broivrcs official letter to the secretary of -war,
datedJuli/ 7 th, 1814.

"I sent Colonel Gardner to order General Ripley to advance with
the 2lst regimexit, which formed part of the reserve, pass to the left
of our camp, skirt the wood so as to keep out of view, and fall upon
the rear of the enemy's right flank. This order was promptly obeyed
and the greatest exertions were made by tlie 21st regiment to gain
their position and close wilh the enemy, but in vain."

The following was stated by Major Buckner, late of the army, in the
presence of several gentlemen, at O'Neil's hotel in Washington, in
June or Julj', 1815, as part of the contents of a letter addressed by
General Scott to a friend in Virginia, which was read at Dunwiddie
court-house.

" If Ripley had obeyed his orders, which could only have been pre-
sented by the damnedest cowardice, not a man of the shattered bat-
talions of the enemy would have effected his escape."

If this is to be called a '* signal victory," as General Scott describes
it, what appropriate epithet shall we find for Marengo, Austeriitz,
Leipsic, New OrUans, and Waterloo ? Signal victories produce effects.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 055

brevet or medal and but one sword conferred, altlmugh chap.
redoubts were carried at the point of tlic bayonet j and at -^'^•
Eutaw, compared with which, the conflict of Street's creek '"'^^'^^^
was the affair of a picket, we behold a solitary medal and
a sword only, voted to the brave army which crossed bayo-
nets with the enemy, and drove him from the field.

In those days the consciousness of performing one's
duty, was the richest reward the soldier could receive,
but now, swords, medals, and brevets, have become the
subjects of executive intrigue or factious compromise, and
by their indiscriminate application have lost their dis-
tinction, and like unqualified and undeserved praise pass
but at the market price. And wherefore this revolution
in the sentiment, policy, and practice of onr national
councils? At that time tlie cause of the revolution form-
ed the paramount motive of action; now, alas! how fallen
are we, the intenests of an election, the purchase of parti-
zans, and the preservation of place and power, supersede
all sense of regard to the public weal, and send forth the
taints of corruption, to the extremest bounds of executive
influence ; but reader, for an answer to this specific case,
I would refer you to the diagram No. IT, and the flying
cabinet.

But what was the conduct of General Brown, pending^iaj

or-

tliis critical scene, in which victory balanced for many Irown's
minutes? Overwiielmcd by the weight of his responsibi- conduct
lity, and distracted by the magnitude of the trust, with- action
out practice or experience to guide him, like a mariner
on tiic tempestuous ocean witliout a compass, he >yas at
a loss what course to pursue, and therefore remained irre-
solute and undetermined; consigning the first brigade to
its fate, he exposed himself to be beat in detail; whilst
by a simple movement of the second brigade,* which he
hold inactive, he could have crushed the enemy in ten
minutes, and made every living man a prisoner. Genc-

* General Brown in his oflficial letter of July 7th, calls this brigade
his reserve. He made it such for the occapion it is presumed. »= '.*
formed one half of his regular forre.

65G MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, ral Rial blindly offered him this advantage, but he still
^^^^J^ more blind knew not how to improve it. For one whole
General ^""*' ^^^ ^^^ combat rage, victory hang in suspense, and
Scott's brave men fight and fall and bleed and die, until they

conduct 1 ^, J . .„ ,

approved, conquered j then and not till then, when co-operation

ceased to be necessary, the gallant Bi<ldle and Ritchie
were permitted with their batteries to support Tovvson,
and General Ripley was ordered to march ; but before he
reached o o, (see the Diagram) the enemy were put to
flight. Yet in his official communications. General Brown
endeavours to impose on his government the idea, that
he had fought this affair with great skill and conduct, and
was entitled to the unmerited honours and fulsome adu-
lation which he has received from an honest but deluded
people ; and should such imposture escape exposition ? —
Forbid it patriotism! forbid it justice! Attempts have
been made to derogate from the good conduct of General
Scott on this occasion, because the pursuit was not
promptly pressed ; but this is unjust, as no man who has
been on a field of battle, would have expected such ser-
vice from a corps, exhausted by the severest toil to which
the human frame can be exposed, and after more than
one fourth of its number had been killed and wounded.

The following returns exhibit the killed, wounded and
missing on this occasion, in which the great disparity
can be accounted for only by the superior fire of the
American infantry and artillery j yet in proportion to
the numbers engaged the loss was nearly equal, being
somewhat more than every fourth man; but the small-
ness of General Scott's loss in officers gave him a great
advantage, and is indeed remarkable j exceeding in the
total that of Colonel Van Rensselaer* at the attack of
Queenstown, three only, and not equalling it in deaths.

* Having- omitted in its proper place, I will here particularise,
that it was the grenadier and light companies of the 49th regiment,
which opposed Colonel Van Rensselaer's landing, they were 175
strong, commanded by Captains Dennie and Williams, who were both
wounded, and had three sergeants and thirty-nine rank and file killed
and wounded. This from an official return taken at York.

GENERAL WILKINSON.

057

AMERICAN.

Relurii of Killed, Wounded, and Missing, in the Jffair of
Chipimwa, July 5th, 1814.

CHAP.
XIV.

Killed.

Wounded.

' Miming^. \

NAMES OF CORPS.

CO

1=

1

M

PS

4
13

3

5
u

1

2

c
2

i^

M.

c

8

39

■u

c

a.
6

- M

Artillery
9lh llegiment

20
54

11th do.

1

14

1

1

6

52

73

19th do.

3

2

2

7

22d do.

8

1

2

2

41

51

25th do. -

1

4

1

2

4

62

71

Militia

3

2

]

1

1

2

2

9

Indians -

9

4

10

23

Total

2

58

1

3

7

14

210

1

1

1

14

308

Mem. The three militia officers returned missing were made pri-
soners.

BRITISH.

Return of Killed, Wounded, and Missing, in the Affair of
Chippawa, July 5th, 1814.

«

Killed.

Hounded.

JVlissin^-.

NAMES OF CORPS.

c

01

c

s-

0^

1)

c

1

ii

to

c

_4J

«

"«

vU

,«

>'■)

«

13

bo

M

3 S

u.

j:^

c

a

c

t. C

n!

.p

OJ K

V

O

CO

c«

Bi

^

u

CO

CO tf

CO

•^

r<

General Staff

•

1

19lh Light Dragoons

1 5

2

Royal Artillery

1

4

5

Royal Art. Drivers

1

Royal Scots

4

48

1

2

7

4 121

30

207

8lh Regiment

o

1

l' 22

2b

100th Regiment

Militia

2

2
1

3

64
9

1
1

2

6
3

111 114
l: 11

1

14

192
36

__

.—

—

_

Total

2

3

7

125

3

5

18

18l 277|

1

44

468

.V. JB. These returns are given as official in Niles's Register.

VOL. I.

4 0

6i^8

MEMOIRS BY

CHAP.
XIV.

This account is founded on the best inlormation I have
been able to pi-ociire; but it may not be in all its parts
minutely correct; because I have perceived a variance
even in the orders and reports of General Brown and
General Porter, toiichin- this affair. Tiie former in his
official report of the 7tli of July to the secretary of war,
employs the following language: '' Bij this time General
Porter^s command had given tcay, andjied in every direc-
tion, notwithstanding his personal gallantry and great exer-
tions to stay their FLIGHT. The retreat of the volun-
teers and Indians caused the left flank of General Scott's
brigade to be greatly exposed." But General Porter in
Lis report to General Brown, bearing date the 16th of
the same month, speaks of the volunteers in terms of the
highest eulogium : " The action of Chippawa," says this
meritorious militia ofiicer, <« in whicii the volunteers took
so conspicuous a part, will ever be remembered to the
honour of the American arms. It was commenced by
800 Pennsylvania volunteers and Indian warriorsr who
met about the same number of British militia and In-
dians, overthrew and drove them behind the main line of
the British army, destroying at least 150, and annihi-
lating it is believed this description of the enemy's force."
In short, the brigadier is satisfied <' the whole corps (vo-
lunteers and Indians) will cnnthiue to distinguish its If by
its courage and good conduct.^' It might be considered in-
vidious in n^e to contrast tliese'H)aragraphs, which arc
taken from Nilcs's Weekly Register; I therefore leave
them to the comments of tiie reader, an;! shall close this
chapter with two other extracts from General Brown's
official letter of the 7th July to the secretary of war.

Gen. Brown having detached Gen. Scott with his brigade
from Fort Erie, on the 4th July, to advance upon the ene-
my, and « to select a good military position for the night,"
overtakes him within one and a half miles of the enemy,
about midnight, and lays down, it appears from Captain
Treat's trial, without the ordinary precautions in station-
ing his guards; leaving that officer to hunt for and find

^

GENERAL WILKINSON. 659

liis position in tlic dark, at /;.* Tims within lialf an CUAP.
lioiif's man h of a brave and enterprising enemy, whose '"^•
numbers lie did not understand, he commits the safety <>f General
his camp to a blind contingency. Unpardonable igno- Brown's
rancc or self confidence!' For if General Riall" had ^^".^7;^^=
turned his left Hank, whicli ho could have accomplished want of
in a mile and an half march, and had attacked him in his demon-
camp from r r, (see Diagram, No. XL) at day break the straied.
next morning, he would probably have surprised him,
and one half of his corps being fatigued by a night march,
the event might have proved fatal. Captain Treat was
peremptorily ordered into camp with his guard, by Bri-
gade-major Clark about 8 o'clock the next morning, and
on the march within fifteen rods of Captain Biddle's
battery, 7n, he was fired on at q from r r, by the irrc-
gulai's of the enemy. Some disorder ensued, which was
soon remedied, and two men of tlie guard were wounded.
Of this incident Major-general Brown, in his official let-
ter of July 7th, 1814, l?,kcs the following notice, viz.
<« by noon he (the enemy) shewed himself on the left of our General
exterior line, and attacked one of our pickets, as it ivas letter to
returning to camp. Captain Treat %vho commaded it retir- the secre-
ed disgracefully, leaving a wounded man on the ^?'02i7id; ^varon the
Capt. Biddle of the artillery who was near the scene, impel- occasion.
led hy feelings highly honourable to him as a soldier and an
officer, promptly assumed the command of this picket, led it
back Jto the wounded man, and brought him off the field.
I ordered Captain Treat, ON THE SPOT, to retire from

* It is proved by several witnesses on Captain Treat's trial, that
he was unfit for duty when ordered on guard, after General Brown's
march of the 4lh July, by reason of a contusion received by a fall
from a horse, but that he did not refuse; that the g'uard beings pa-
raded, Major Orne, assistant inspector genera), came to it, and or-
dered Captain Treat to take post; being- asked for directions by the
Captam, the Inspector " pointing' in a particular direction in the dark-,
told him it-ivas soviexvhere in that direction, but did not kno-w exact l;i
■where, that Captain Treat could find it as -aell as he could " and accord-
ingly the Captain marched ofi' Ms gujird, and after much difficulty
and by dintof perseverance, he discovered one of the exterior g'uardj.
and took his position at p. Sec Diagram, No. M

660 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, the armij, and as lam anxious that no officer should remain
^^^' wider my command who can he suspected oj cowardicCf I
advise that Captain Treat, with Lientejiant (Mor-
row'^), who was also with the picket, be struck from the rolls
Rflec- of the army.'' This conduct of General Brown towards
this kuer. Captain Treat and Lieutenant Morrow, exhibits an af-
fected sensibility fur the lionour of the troops intrusted to
his command; but in the very attempt to establish pre-
tensions to that feeling, he has shewn himself entirely
destitute of it; under his sudden exaltation, it would
have become General Brown to have doubted his own
judgment, and restrained the natural domination of
his spirit. In attempting to ruin by the stroke of his
pen, the characters of two meritorious officers, whose
conduct he had but partially viewed, and of which he
ought to have felt himself an incompetent judge, he
betrayed utter ignorance of that magnanimity, which
ought to distinguish exalted commanders, in their treat-
ment of their inferiors ; but in seeking to establish pre-
tensions to sensibilities to which he had no claim, he
stained the general orders of the army by a black-blood-
ed libel on an officer, who was aiding his elevation, and
whom he sooglit to sacrifice, for the purpose of surreptiti-
ously obtaining a character, which he ouglit to have known
can only be derived from noble and virtuous actions. On
the second day after tiie transaction, the General official-
ly informs the secretary of war, that he '* ordered Captain
General Treat on the spot to 7-etire fi'om the army;** but it is posi-

Brown de- tjvely proved on the Captain's trial by several witnesses,
tected in •' * ' '' '

another that General Brown, « on the spot, ordered Captain Treat

falsehood, iq qnarch his g^iard into the wood, in pursuit of the enemy,''

which he did with promptitude, directly to the place

from whence he had been fired on ; and that he penetrat-

* It happened fortunately for this officer that he had a brotiier in
Congress ; and as the secretary of war was courting popularity in the
state of Ohio, he deemed it expedient to expunge the name ; and in
this way President Madison and his minister could expose or pro-
tect, elevate or depress, individuals, as their policy or resentnaents
might dictate.

GENERAL WILKINSON. GOl

ed the wood and marched i?ito it a considerable distance, chap.
and was remanded to camp with his guard by the adju- ^'^•
tant-general. The facts are incontrovertible ; that re- ^"^"^^'^*^
spectabic officer Major Biddic, who is an ornament to
his profession, declared before the general court martial,
which tried Captain Treat, that " General Brown order-
ed the officer who commanded the guard, to resume his sta-
tion; to go to where he had been stationed. The guard
went into the woods, but the parttj of the enemy had retreat-
ed;^* here then I detect the commander in chief of the Reflec-
tions on
army of the United States, selected by President Madi- the con-
son and his secretary of war. Colonel Monroe, to fill that *^"*^^"1.'^'^®
•' executive.

high responsible station, backing his calumnious fabrica-
tions by an errant falsehood, to ruin a fellow soldier, a
fellow citizen and a fellow man. But if the executive may
find it convenient to connive at assumptions of authonty
which belong to the laws exclusively ; if it may suit his
policy to honour and reward a military chief for acts of
usurpation, which no officer of any other service in the
world dare commit, I fervently hope tlie correlative
branches of the government, may not, by their acquies-
cence, sanction abuses which tend to subvert the most sacred
rights of man.

I will close this chapter with another paragraph from General
this official letter, of a diffi?rent character, in which the ^1'°^^"'

WltllOUt

General works himself up into such a fit of frensy, that bridge or
he appears ready to leap into the Chippawa, and pursue ^^"Jj?^"*'
the enemy with his sword in his teeth ; but is suddenly mines to
moderated by the persuasion and yields to the advice of enemy's'^
General Scott and Major Wood. The enemy having es- ^'o'l^s on
caped across the Chippawa and destroyed the bridge, the site s-.de
General in the pursuit comes up to the river, and flushed ?^"",'!"'

lordable

with victory, seems determined to part the waters, and river.
make a passage for his artillery, *<at this moment," says he,
" / determined to bring up all my ordnance and force the
place, by a direct attack, and gave the order accordingly,"
and all this it appears, before he had reconnoitred the
lines of the enemy's works ; yet, he readily permitted the
admonition of two junior officers, to divert him from his

663 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, delcvmined purpose ; but how was the General without a
•^'^" bridge, and without pontoons to cross a river 60 yards
wide and unfordable, in the face of a gallant enemy?
Let military men decide^

GENERAL WILKINSON. 063

chaptp:r XV.

Reflections on the affair at StreeVs creek. — Correspondence criAP.
between General Brown and Commodore Chauncey. — v^^-v^-^^
Examination of General Brown's letter. — General
RiaVs position at Twelve Mile Creek — Conncil of
war. — Propositions made and rcjlections thereon. — Ge.
neral Brown marches to invest Fort George, and re-
tires.— His apparent ignorance of the situation of the
enemy, evinced by his proposed attack oj' Bnrlington
Heights. — The Heights described. — Rtjlections on a letter
from General Brown to the Secretary of War. — General
Brown retreats to Chippawa, followed by General Rial to
Lundy's Lane, Jtdy 24th.' — Objects of General Brown^s
misrepresentations — The effects to have been expected
from the Commodore's co-operation — Reflections prelimi-
nary to the examination of the affair of Lundtfs Lane. —
Sources of information on 7vhich the details of that affair
are founded. — Reference to diagrams. — Position of the two
armies — Report of Colonel Leavenworth to General Brown
and his answer. — General Scott receives orders to march
for ^ueenslown. — Genertd Brown^s official letter, with-
out date, quoted. — Intelligence received by Major TFood
and communicated to General Scott. — Movement of Ge-
neral Scott, and the disposition of his force. — General
Scott discovers the enemy in order of battle. — Testimony
of Colonel M'JVeil, Captain Crawford, Lieutenant Saw-
yer, Lieutenant Thompson, Sergeant Blake and Corporal
Hubbard. — Diagram, J\'*o. XII» incorrect. — General Scott's
brigade breaks in the act of forming. — Its strength. —
Opinions respecting the time the action commenced. — Re-
jiections on the motives of General Scott's march to Queens-
town Position of the British corps. — General Scott's

situation and duty. — His position.— Principles of service
contrasted with the conduct of empty prctenders.-~-Gene-

6Q^ MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. ral Scott's coridiid and ignorance exposed. — Operations of
,^^^^^,1. General Scott according to the statement of Colonel Lea-
venworth— Action continued, and rule for retreating ful-
filled.— Reflections on the conduct of General Rial and Ge-
neral Scott — Testimony of Captain M^JDonaldi and a
glance at a court of enquiry. — This testimony examined
and applied. — General Ripley advances on his own res-
ponsibility contrary to orders. — Determines to carry the
enemy's battery, for which service he orders Colonel Mil-
ler 7vith the Qlst regiment. — Particular conduct of the
second brigade. — General Brown's injudicious order. —
Ripley's salutary decision. — Movement of the second bri-
gade.— Colonel Miller carries the battery of the enemy and
is supported by the 25d regiment. — Major Riddle's report.
• — Information of Leavenworth, Crawford, Sawyer and
Thompson. — L formation of Major Riddle. — Forma-
tion of the American line in Lundy's Lane Ripley re-
quests orders from Brown respecting the captured artille-
ry.— Second charge of the enemy. — General Scott's second
movement. — His third position. — Third charge of the ene-
my.— Conduct of General Brown and the executive. —
General Scott's conduct in the action of Lundy's Lane. —
General Scott makes a charge in cohimn. — Passes between
the ranks of the contending armies. — The fourth combat.
' — Testimony of Captain McDonald again referred to. —
General Brown and President Madison. — General Scott
seeks an adventure on the left. — He succeeds no better than
on the right. — Estimated strength of General Scott's con-
solidated battalion, after the first charge. — A contrast of
military merits. — General Scott's second charge. — His
troops are broken and retire. — General Brown rvounded.
—General Scott wounded. — Final disposition of the con-
solidated battalion of Geiural Scott. — Particular conduct
of General Brown in the action of Lundy's Lane. — His
orders to Colonel Hindman.— 'Critical situation of the
.imerican troops. — General Brown's order to General
Ripley. — Cause and effects of the affair at Limdy's Lane.
— Extraordinary order of General Brown to General
Ripley, with reflections thereon. — Recantation of General

GENERAL WILKINSON. 665

Brown. — His motives. — Jinalysis of General nrowii*s ex-
traordinary order. — Conduct of Ripley and the army. —
Ocneral Driunmond's official letter examined. — Itcturna
of the killed and wounded.

The cfTccts of the affair of Street's creek, was the CFIap
retreat of General Rial from Ijis position at Chippawa,
leaving General Brown to take care of the wounded of Rcflec-
both armies, to repair the bridge of Chippawa river, and ^'""^ ".?
supply the detects of Ins original equipments, tor a move- ofSueei'B
ment beyond the limits of his water transport, which was ^'■'^^^'
terminated at that river by the grand cataract of Niaga-
ra; for we find the General, in his letter to the secretary
of war, the day after the battle, and tlie fourth day of the
campaign, complaining of f'- his limited means of transpor-
tation,** which eitlier evinces the improvidence and inca-
pacity of the chief, or proves that the expedition was in-
tended, merely, « to carry Fort Erie, and beat up the ene-
iny^s quarters at Chippawa;*^ yet in the same letter, he
tells the secretary, *♦ his arrangements were made for
turning, in rear, the enemy^s position east* of the Chippawa,**
which, he informs his patron, General Rial suspected ;
and thence he accounts for the injudicious attack made by
that ollicer at Street's creek ; although it is manifest that
the British general had the alternative, to oppose his ad-
versary's passage over a long, deep, and difficult river, or
to fall back on his strong holds at his discretion.

I understand the American army broke up its encamp-
ment and advanced to Queenstown on the 10th July,
where it halted, for what cause is utdvnown, unless, after
having accomplished the original objects of the expedi-
tion, it became necessary to deliberate as to future opera-
tions ; and this presumption is warranted by the sequel.

On the 13th, the army being stationary, and General
Scott engaged in making up a report to gratify his vani-
ty, and prop or explain the oiHcial accounts of his chief.
General Brown occupied himself in writing an e:»trava-

* The General means nort,b.

VOL. r. 4 p

066 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, gant and incoherent letter to Commodore Chauncey, on

-^^- which the Commodore's answer is the best comnicntary,

that can be made.* If this letter was not intended mere-

• Extract of a letter from Major-general Brown to Commodore Chaun-
cey, dated Queenstoivn, July Voth, 1814-

" All accounts agree tliat the force of the enemy in Kingston is
very light. Meet me on the lake shore, north of Fort George, with
your fleet, and we will be able, I have no doubt, to settle a plan of
operation that will break the power of the enemy in Upper Canada,
and that in the course of a short time.

" At all events let me hear from you, I have looked for your fleet
with the greatest anxiety since the 10th. I do not doubt my ability
to meet the enemy in the field, and to march in any direction over his
country ; your fleet carrying for me the necessary supplies. We can
threaten Forts George and J\/tagara and carry Burlington Heights and

York, AND PROCEED DIHECT TO KiNGSTOW ASTD CARRY THAT PLACE, FOP

God's sake let me see you. Sir James ivill notfght, two of his vessels
are now in Niagara river.

" If you conclude to meet me at the head of the lakcj and that im-
mediately, have the goodness to bring the guns and troops that I have
ordered from the Harbour; at all events, have the politeness to let me
know, what aid I am to expect from the fleet of Lake Ontario.

"There is not a doubt resting in mj' mind but that we have between
us, the command of sufficient means to conquer Upper Canada within
two months, if there is a prompt and zealous cooperation, and a vigo-
rous application of these means. Now is our time before the enemy
can be greatly reinforced."

t^xtract of a letter from Commodore Chauncey to J^ajor-general Brown.,
dated U. S. ship Superior, off Kingston, August 10th, 1814.

" From the tenor of your letter, it would appear that you had cal-
culated much upon the co-operation of the fleet. You cannot surely
have forgotten the conversation we held on this subject at Sackett's
Harbour previous to your departui-e for Niagara, I then professed
to feel it my dut}', as well as my inclination, to afford every assist-
ance in my power to the army and to co-operate with it whenever
it could be done without losing sight of the great object, for the
attainment of which this fleet had been created, to wit, the capture
or destruction of the enemy's fleet; but I then distinctly stated to
you, that this was a primary object, and would be first attempted ;
And that you must not expect the fleet at the head of the lake, un-
less til- 1 of the enemy should induce us to follow him there.

" I will not suflTer myself to believe that this conversation was mis*
understood, or has since been forgotten. How then shall I account
for tlie intimiition thrown out to the public in your despatch to the

GENERAL WILKINSON. -_«67

^y as a tub to the whale, if it had any meaning beyond chap.
empty rhodomontade, it must have been to ascertain, ^^
whetlier or not the Commodore intended to visit the head
of the lake ; a clear proof that the General had no right to
expect him tliere. But a feAv specific quotations are ne-
cessary to the analysis of this extraordinary production^
and will serve to illustrate other circumstances.

The General informs the Commodore in the commence- Examina-
ment of this letter, that **all accounts agree that the force General
of the enemy in Kingston was very light,** but at the end Browu'«
of the same letter, he says to him, <» now is our time be-

secretary of war, that you expected the fleet to co-operate with yo« ?

JVas it friendly or just or honourable, not only to furnish an opening
for the public, but thus to assist them, to infer that I liad pled^^ed
myself to meet you at a particular day at the head of the lake, for the
purpose of cooperation? and in case of disaster to your army, thus to
turn their resentment from you who are alone responsible, upon me,
who could not by any possibility have prevented or retarded even
•jour discomjiture. You -well know. Sir, that the fleet could not have
tendered you the least service during your late incursion upon Upper
Canada. You have not been able to approach Lake Ontario or any
point nearer than Queenstown, and the enemy were then in possession
of all the country between that place and the shore of Ontario ; and
that I could not even communicate with you, without making a cir-
cuit of 70 or 80 miles. 1 would ask, of what possible use the fleet
•Mould have been to you either in threatening or investing Fort George,
■when the shattowness of the water alone would prevent an approach with
these ships within two miles of that fort or J^iagara? To pretend that the,
fleet could render the least assistance in your projected capture of Burling-
ton Heights in your route to Kingston, is still more romantic, for it is well
known the fleet could not approach within nine miles of those Heights,

"That you might find the fleet somewhat of a convenience in the
■transportation of provisions and stores for the use of the army, and
an agreeable appendage to attend its marches and counter-marches, I
am ready to believe ; but, Sir, the secretary of the navy has honoured
us with a higher destiny — we are intended to seek and to tighc the
enemy's fleet. This is the great purpose of the government in creating
this fleet ; and I shall not be diverted in my efforts to effectuate it, by
any sinister attempt to render us subordinate to, or an appendage of,
the army.

"We have one common object in ^be annoyance, defeat and de-
struction of the enemy ; and 1 shall always cheerfully unite with any
itiilitary commander in the promotion of that object."

668 IVIEMOIRS BY

CHAP, fore the enemy can he greatly Reinforced;" and where were
^'^' these reinforcements cxpecteil from? necessarily from
^"^'"^'^^ Kingston 200 miles in General Brown's front, over a dif-
ficult road the greatest part of tl)e way, and on the direct
route to Montreal, wlicre reinforcements had arrived and
were weekly arriving from Europe ; nay, on the very day
General Brown wrote this letter, it is susceptible of
proof, that Lieutenant-general Drummond was on the
march from Kingston with a strong reinforrenicnt, which
reached tlie vicinity of Fm-t Gnorgc, on the twenty-fourth
of July; yet General Brown proposes to Commodore
Chauncey to " threatex Fort George, Niagara,

AND CARRY BuRLINGTOJf HEIGHTS, YoRK, AND PRO-
CEED DIRECT TO Kingston and carry that place;"
and in this summary mode, he disposes of the fortified
places of the enemy, as if they were bound to respect
his summons; but if the reader will cast his eyes over
any correct map of Upper Canada, and connect Queens-
town and Kingston in the same view, he will be enabled
to form a fair estimate of the incompetency of this offi-
cer wlio had been intrusted with the life of the soldier
and the public safety. In another part of the same letter,
the General says, <' / do not doubt my ability to meet the
enemy in the field, and to march in any direction over their
country^'" and with the co-operation of the squadron,
which, according to Commodore Chauncey and agreea-
bly to the topography of the country, could not have ren-
dered any essential aid to the operations of the army.
General Brown gallantly proposed, ** to conquer Upper
Canada in two months," and all these feats were to be per-
foimed by 2700 regular troops, and 800 volunteers and
Indians, without the necessary artillery* or munitions of
war.

But on the 14tlj July, while the army lay at Queenstown,
General Brown received advice, that General Rial with

* General P.rown in liis letter to General Izard, as late as the 11th
of Scp\^mlier, speaks doubtirfj^ly of the capacity of his artillery tore-
ducc Niagara, and General Izard in his letter to the secretary of war.
October 16th, is explicitly in the negative.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 669

lis main body, was posted on the Twelve Mile Creek, CM a p.
md Colonel Scott with his advance, consisting of militia, ^'''

hi
and

Indians and Glcni^ary light infantry, at the Ten Mile c.^ncvA
Creek ; this position of the British general was ten or «'*!'« po
twelve miles trom the American camp, and nearly the tJX*^
same distance from Fort George, the defence of which ^^\
place, and of the Forts Niagara and Missisauga, he had
committed to the ilst and 8th regiments, and the sea-
men and marines of two brigs, which lay in the river;
whilst w itii one wing of the royal Scots and the 100th re-
giment, which had been so terribly mauled at Street's
creek, about 400 Glengary light infantry and a party of
the incorporated militia and Indians (estimated at 1250
of the former, and 800 of the latter), he kept the
field and watched the motions of the American army.
With this information before him. General Brown called Council of

war con-

a conference of his chief officers, consisting of Brigadier- vened by-
generals Scott, Ripley and Porter, and Colonels M*Rea, gJo^y"/
Wood, Hindman and Gardner. At this meeting it was
proposed by Brigadier-general Scott to invest Fort George ; P»*oposi-
General Ripley proposed to march against Rial^hat nighty made, and
with his brigade, and Towson's and Biddle'« artillery, ''^flections
and to attack him at reveille the next morning; Scott's
and Porter's brigades, with Colonel Uindman and the
park, to be held in reserve at supporting distance.

I have not been apprised of, nor can I discern any ar-
gument in favour of General Scott's proposition, to invest
Fort George; but the objections to that measure appear ob-
vious and insuperable; General Brown's battering train
was, I understand, confined to two or three guns of 18
pounds calibre, and he was without mortars ; whilst the
enemy could have brought 15 or 20 twenty-four pound-
ers, and several 10 inch mortars into operation ; but ad-
mitting General Brown's battering train, would have
warranted his opening trenches; whilst his magazines were
at Buffaloe, thirty-six miles distant, and on the opposite
side of the strait, and General Rial kept the field with
^000 men, and commanded the river up to Queenstown,
his force was insufficient to guarantee his communication

d70 MEMOmS BY

CHAP, with hi?? depot, and at the same time defend his line of cir-
^^" curavallation. A siege, therefore, was absolutely prohi-
bited, even if it had not been known, as seems to have
been the case, that strong reinforcements were rapidly
approaching. It may be alleged, that the place might
Lave been carried by storm, but, it is presumed, no
such Mea prevailed, as it was not attempted ; yet, if
the attempt had been made and had succeeded, the
strength of the American corps must necessarily have
been sensibly impaired in the operation, and soon after
would have been besieged by the dominant force of the
enemy and reduced, as the possession of Niagara, and
the command of the river, would have cut oflf the garri-
son, from all intercourse with its resources in the adja-
cent state.

But the proposition of Ripley to attack Rial, appears
to be sustained by military principle and policy ; and it
was certainly justified, by General Brown's avowals to
the secretary of war, and to Commodore Chauncey* of his
incapacity to break down all opposition, to meet the enemy
in the fieidt o-^d to march in any direction over their coun-
try;" but retracting all reliance on the corruscations
which illuminate the General's correspondence, reference
to the comparative strength of the adverse corps, will de-
termine the superiority. The estimate of General Rial's
regular force on the 14th, made it from 1000 to 1500; I
will take the last number, which after his loss at Chippa-
wa, and detaching the 8th regiment, will be a liberal al-
lowance; and will add to it 800 militia and Indians ; the
force of General Brown on the same day was estimated
at 2700 regulars and 1000 volunteers, militia and Indians;
but I will take the first number at 2500 and the last at
800, with which reduction the American scale would still
preponderate one thousand ; with such a superior force of
troops flushed with victory, the disheartened enemy could
not have coped, and if attacked must have been beaten, and
captured, or destroyed ; Ripley's proposition, therefore
was recommended by the soundest considerations of poli-
cy and expediency, inasmuch as by overthrowing Rial,

GENERAL WILKINSON. 67I

before the arrival of General Drummond with reinforce- chap.
ments, General Brown would have diminished the force of ^^
the enemy, increased the eclat of his own army, and might
then have " marched in any direction over the country;^*
but by neglecting this precaution, he would be compelled
to retreat, give up the ground he had taken, and subject
his rear to be harassed during the operation ', reasoning
from premises so obvious, no military man could have paus-
ed for a resolution. And here we have a convincing proof
of the incapacity of Gens. Brown and Scott, for the conduct
of armies ; because the council did divide ; Brown, Scott Decision
and . the Generals' adjutant-general, Colonel Gardner, council of
favouring the investissement of Fort George; Ripley, For- war, and
ter. Colonels M<Rea and Wood, advocating the attack of quences.
Rial ; Colonel Hindraan declined giving an opinion. On
the 15th, Brigadier-general Porter, accompanied by an
engineer, was detached with his corps, and a party of re-
gular troops, to reconnoitre Fort George 5 take a peep at
the lake and return ; which service was performed, with-
out other incident than the loss of five men taken prison-
ers, and two wounded ; and General Porter, speaking of
his militia, closes his report in the following handsome
style, " the conduct of every part of my command was
such as to meet my approbation, and in every movement
of the day exhibited examples of order, fortitude and gal-
lantry, which would have been honourable to the oldest
troops."

On the 16th, strange to tell, the army advanced upon
Fort George to invest it, reconnoitred the place and en-
camped beyond the reach of its guns; but without at-
tempting an assault, or breaking ground, or opening a
battery, Genera! Brown raised his camp on the 23d, and Retreat ot
resumed his position at Qnccnstown, and there he ad- B^own^
dressed a letter to the secretary of war, from which I from Fort
make the following extract, « the army moved from Queens- hI^ if uec
tOTvUf and encamped in the rear of Fort George^ no force was *° ^^^ *fi-

^ crctArv of

left in our rear; the Heights were abandoned to the enemy, « ar, and

and Tve did hope that the movement would hare induced him reflections

^ thereon.

fo re-occitpii them: or clo.^c in nearer to wf. so as to bring on

673 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, an engagement out of his worfes;"* to be enabled to form
^^- an adequate conception of tbe excessive folly and va-
^^''^^'^^^ nity of this ebullition, the reader naust cast his eyes over
the map of Niagara;! he will there perceive that the
heights, which General Brown chivalrously abandoned to
the enemy, are elevated 345 feet above the plain, into
which he descended with his army ; that their acclivity
forms an angle of at least fifty degrees with the horizon,
and that this mountain, is extended many miles to the
north-westward ; the ascent of such a steep, is fatiguing
to an unincumbered individual, but to a soldier in the
ranks, with sixty [lounds on his back and shoulders, the
weight of his arms, accoutrements, ammunition, provi-
sion, knapsack, blanket and canteen, it must be laborious
and difficult, without opposition, but when seasonably op-
posed by a resolute enemy of half numbers, it is imprac-
ticable; here then General Brown and his co-adjutor
Scott, fur they must not be separated, if confidence could
be placed in their professions, offered a sacrifice of the
army they commanded to General Rial, which tliat officer
declined to accept ; such are the sudden transitions, from
extreme confidence to extreme caution, to which all mili-
tary corps, and indeed the human mind is liable. At
Street's creek General Rial despised his enemy, but the
effects of that day, had impaired his confidence in his
own force, and taught him to respect the prowess of
his adversary ; he therefore determined to wait for the
reinforcements which were at hand. Yet, as rash and
improvident as General Brown may be, it would be
uncandid to ascribe to him the degree of ignorance,
necessary to establish the sincerity of the assurances,
exliibited in this letter. It has been seen, that on
the 14th, although carried in council by a plurality of

* It is proper to observe, that the letter as printed in Niles's Regis-
ter, is dated the 22d, but I have been informed, and it has been pub-
lished without contradiction, by the authority of an officer of rank,,
that the retrograde movement from Fort George, toolc place on th&
23d July; if the statement be erroneous it can be corrected.

I See Atlas, No. XV.

GENERAL AVILKINSON. 673

voices, and by twenty-fold intelligence, to attack General chap.
Rial, then oncampcd vvithiri a few hours easy march of '^^'•
the American army, he declined the proposition ; and if ^^^'^'"^^
we may jud.qc from events, to j^ct rid of it, closed with
that «)f Genei-al Scott, and marched to invest Fort George,*
although destitute of the means indispensable to the opera-
tion ; and after loitering a few days in the vicinity of tlie
j»lace, ho rotiaces his steps to Qiieenstown ; and yet this
officer affet ts a desire, « to bring on an engagement with
the cnemi/,'" if ho had been sincere in this profession, the
gratification of his desire depended on his own volition,
and the consent of General Scott only, within any given
five hours after he reached Queenstown, until he return-
ed to Chippawa ; the parugrapii therefore under conside-
ration, can only be resolved into a shallow artifice to im-
pose ori the public; for if General Brown had continued
to vapour in the vicinity of Fort George thirty-six hours
longer, the heights of Queenstown would have been occu-
jiicd by the enemy, his retreat would liavc been cut off,
ami the brave men he had led into that perilous situation,
who did not fall with arms in their hands, must have sur-
rendered prisoners of war; in this instance it would seem,
that the hand of heaven was again specially interposed in

favour of these states ; for althougli General Brown was General

. f I • 1 i. i XI Brown's

obviously on tlie retreat, it appears from his letter to the apparent

secretary of war, without date,t describing the action of 'g;no>'ance

•' ■ - • . ' . "^ 01 the si-

Lundy's Ljine:j: (»r Bridgewa^er, that he was not sensible tuation of
of his danger; that is, if we may believe liis I'^port, ^'^.^^^"^^J^jjj

hispropos-
• Tlie inexperience of General Brown, and of General Scott, ed attack
who is certainly the superior officer of the two, and their utter desli- of Bur-
tutionofmilitary education, made it impossible for them to understand u"?^?"
the conduct of a siege, or even the materials necessary to the attack
and defence of places; and we find tliat as late as the 16th October,
Major-p^eneral Izard, an officer of education and expei'ience, informs
the secretary of war, that " all the artillery and all the ordnance stores on.
this frontier, are inadequate to the siege of one of the enefnt/'s fortresses."
f See Niles's Register, page 433.

i As the action was fought on that spot, it is certainly the appro-
priate name, for it is to the battle and not the place we must look fur
celebrity.

VOL. I. 4j Q

67* MEMOIRS By

CHAP, which, hy the bye, is somewhat incredible, for, he says,
^^- in falling back to Chippawa, he had <* determined to dis-
Those eiwumber himself of baggage, and march directly for Bur-
heights lingion Heights,'' with what view I cannot conceive, the
^^"^''Jg^^'' place being a contracted but lofty peninsula, at the head of
flections Lake Ontario, the isthmus of which was too strongly
from^^"^^ fortified to be carried by a coup de main; but, if it could
General Jjave been taken by assault, as it is a small military post,
the secre- serving as a mere entrepot, it would liave been no acqui-
tary of sition to the United States, and of little injury to the ene-
my, because it could not liave been held ; but having re-
jected the proposition, made at Queenstown and carried
in council, to attack General Rial in his camp at 12
miles distance, it seems highly improbable. General
Brown should have detei-mined, after the lapse of ten
days, when his force had been diminished by disease and
the defection of the Indians, to fall back seven miles and
then advance on Rial and break him down, in order to
get at Burlington Heights, twenty-eight miles in rear of
the British general.

These obscurities and contradictions may perhaps be
hereafter elucidated by the pen of President Madison,
who may be usefully employed in bis retirement, in writ-
ing commentaries on his own war ; in the mean time I
General shall pursue my narrative. On the 24th July General
freatTt?" 5^^'^^^'" re-crossed the Chippawa, and encamped with his
Chippawa, right on the bank of that river, and his left nearly at
lo"wedb°y ''•S''* angles on the strait, giving the junior corps the
General post of honour, the first brigade on the left, and the se-
Lundy's cond on the right. General Rial followed* on his
TLane, July heels, and encamped the same evening at Lundy^s
Lane, about 4700 yards in front of General Brown's
position. It is worthy of remark, that General
Brown on the 25th July, after his return to Chippa-
wa, wrote the secretary of vvar,f advising of his *f change
of position," on the pretence of the failure of Commodore
Chauncey to co-operate with hira; in which letter he ob-

* See General Drummond's ktter, July 2nh, 1814.— Annual Re-
gister, page 203.
t See Niles's Register, page 411.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 67^

serves, « you know how greatly I am ilisappointed, and chap.
therefore I will not dwell on that puiiijhl subject; J have ^^ •
thought proper to change my position with a view to other ""^"^^"^^
objects; you can best perceive how much has been lost by the
delay; and the command of Lake Ontario being with the ene-
my; reliance being placed in a dijff'erent state of things.'*
The drift of these ungenerous and unjust inucndoes are
readily penetrated ; they answered the design of exalt-
ing* the General at the expense of the Commodore; than Object of
whom a uiore intelligent, active, enterprising, bi-ave and BroWs
honourable officer, cannot be found in the highly distin- niisrepre-
guishcd service to which he belongs; but what would tions, and
have been the effect, if Commodore Chauncev*s health ^*1^ ^^""^^^

•^ ofCommo-

had permitted him to ajjpear off Niagara with his squad- dore
ron, on the 10th, the day of General Brown's arrival at C*'*""*

•' _ cey s co-

Queenstown ? lie could not have assisted him in the re- operation,
duction of Fort George, nor co-operated with him in his health had
projected march to Kingston; then the only result I can permitted.
discover is this, that the Commodore might have convey-
ed to him the battering cannon and a corps of 200 or 300
riflemen, which he says he had ordered from Sackett's
Harbour, and those auxiliary means might have tempted the
General to open trenches against Fort George, an opera-
lion which would have emi)Ioyed at least 15 days, before
the place could have been reduced; by which period. Ge-
neral Drummojid would have got up with his reinforce-

* The following- calumnious paragraph was published at Washing-
ington city, under the nose of the President, in a paper controled by
the secretary of war, July 29th, 1814.

" It is indeed VL'ry unfortunate that Chauncey is so indisposed as to
be unable to meet the enemy; and thus leave the gallantarmy of Brown
t-o be jeopardized. It is very unfortunate that he sliould be sick at
the very moment when it is necessary he should make his way from
port. Why does not the secretary of the navy ^ive the command to
Captain Jones, whose courage and skill have already been tried; and
not thus wait on the motions of a man who will not fight but when
there is perhaps no essential occasion ; and who, when there is, hap-
pens iinfurturuitelt/ to be sick? We presume the secretary will soon
publish another official letter detailing the Commodore's unfortunate
indisposition, for the benefit of the inipatientpublic." — Citt/ Gazette.

676 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, ments, and, joining General Rial, would have fallen ou

^^' Brown's rear, and captured or destroyed his army. To

the Commodore's illness then, and the disappointment

which the General pretends,* may be ascribed his safety.

Reflec- J jiQ^v approach a transaction which furnishes a most

liminary extraordinai'y instance of the ascendant, which the eclat

to the ex- q( arms may aceniire over lumian reason ; even over the
ansination . „ , ,. . ■ /. i

oftlieaf. minds of a republican people who protess peace, ana

fail- of whose true i)olicy consists in preserving tranquillity with

Lundy s j ^ 7

Lane. all the w^orld.

I speak not of achievements by which cities have been
saved and states protected,* of great and sanguinary bat-
tles fought, wherein the life of the soldier, has been bar-
tered for the safety of the empire j of Thermopylje or New
Orleans; but of scenes of senseless carnage, wherein much
was staked against nothing, and the country was exposed

* It always has been and ever shall be my pride, to vindicate the
conduct of honourable men, and therefore I offer the following state-
ment to my readers. Justly incensed by General Biown's disinge-
nuity, to use no harsher term, Commodore Chauncey on the General's
arrival at Sackelt's Harbour, in the autumn of 1814, declined all inter-
course with him. The General made overtures for an explanation
which ihe Commodore at first rejected, but on the in ercession of an
officer whom he respected, he consented to spi-ak to General Brown,
if he would answer, satisfactorily, certain questions lo be propounded
to him by the Commodore, which being assented to, the following
were offered to the General in writing.

*' 1st — Did Commodore Chauncey ever directly or indirectly, by
word or by writing, give you cause to expect that )ie would co-operate
with you at the liead of Lake Ontario ?

" ^^Insiuer by General Bro-wn, " JVef er."

"2d. — Has not Commodore Cliaunceyj on all occasions which have
come within your knowledge, manifested a disposition, promptly and
zealously to co-operate willi the army, for the promotion of tlic public
service ?

" Ansiver hy General Broxon, " Alivnys.'^

I state these facts from memory, as I received them from the Com-
modore and the officer who mediated, and believe them to be sub-
stantially correct. I tliink there was a third interrogatory, but can-
not recollect it. The paper was signed by General Brown and deli-
vered to the Commodore, who afterwards met the General as an ac-
quaintance, but I undersUuid without further exolaiiaticn.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 677

to a dread misfortune,* without a prospect of correspou- chap.
dent advantat^^cs. I am sciisilde tlie public judgment has ^^^,!^^1_^
been betjuiled by misreprcsentati ins, which liave receiv-
ed the sanction of the national executive, and been im-
posed on the representative body for interested purposes;
and f am aware of the difficulty of removin,^ prejudices
once established, particularly when they are fostered by
self love; but I address myself to the virtue, intelligence,
and independence of the country, and, regardless of con-
sequences, shall discharge the duty of a faithful citizen ;
happy if by the development of facts, I shall be able to
dissipate the delusions which have been spread before
them, to promote a system of political frauds and corrup-
tion.

In the details which I shall give of the brave, bloody, Source of
and obstinate nocturnal rencontre of Lundy's Lane, I tion on
shall be guided by legal testimony, written narrative and ^y'^'ch the

GCt^lls of

oral information, in which I place confidence ; faithfully that affair
recording facts and incidents as they occurred and have ^^^ found-
been reported to me.

The map of the strait of Niagara,! which accompanies
tl»ese memoirs, is presumed to be correct. The Diagrams Reference
(Nos. XII, XIII, XIV, and a XIV,) designed to iUus '° ^'^'

grams

* If the divisioa intrusted to the direction of General Brown had
been lost, in the awful state of llie public sentiment and the public
treasury at the time, the calamity might have proved fatal to the go-
vernment. It will not be denied by any one who reads these memoirs,
that by crossing into Upper Canada, he committed the troops under
hiscommaiid to imminent hazard, and without the means lo accom-
plish any solid advantage — wherefore then the risk ? I appeal to the
sober sense of the nation for an answer. — If the expedition had been
necessary — if it had been judiciously planned and ably conducted,
then let General Brown continue to command the army of the United
States.— But, on the contrary, if this expedition was inexpedient — if
the professed objects did not warrant the hazard — if the means pro-
vided were not adequate to the end proposed — if the expedition was
made without any determinate plan, and the execution committed to
chance — then, I say. President Madisfin has been guilty of a grievous
public wrong, by committing the blood and treasure of the country
to such incompetent and improvident hands,

t See Atlas, No. XV-.

678 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP trate the night scenes of Lnndy's lane, and the previous
position of Brigadier-general Scott, are founded on the
reports of many officers who were on the field, and the
distance of the British battery from General Scott's first
position, which was 600 yards, is given from a measure-
ment made by an intelligent engineer.
Position of By a reference to the map of the strait, the reader will
armies. ^^ enabled to form a general idea of the relative positions
of General Brown's camp at Cluppawa (D) and tliat of
tlie enemy's at Lundy's lane, (1) with the intermediate
ground and ihe posts of the advanced guards of the re-
spective armies at x and s. On the morning of the 25th
of July, tiie guard x of the American camp was com-
manded by Captain Odell* of the 23d regiment, who

* Beport of Captain A. W. Odell of the 23d Infanii-y.

" On the moining' of tiie 25th July, 1814, the American army un-
der Major-general Brown, being then encamped at Chippawa, Upper
Canada, I was detailed and assigned to the command of a picket,
which, agreeably to the directions I received, was posted on the lower
side of Chippawa creek, near the bank of Niagara river, on the road
leading from Chippawa to Queenstown heights, about a quarter of a
mile from the encampment.

" Between eight and nine o'clock A. M. I discovered a part of the
enemy on an eminence near the falls, a mile and an half or two miles
in advance of the picket. Tlie party was stationary, and continued
so during the day ; of this I gave immediate notice to the officer of
the day, Between twelve and one o'clock, a few of the enemy's dra-
gsons approached very near the picket, and were fired on by some
men concealed in advance ; and frequently in different directions
small parties of the enemy were observable from the picket, of which
the officer of the day was informed ; who, when he visited the picket,
observed, that the information he had received was communicated
to the general, -ivho ridiculed the idea that the enemy -were in force near
the falls.

" Bei-iveen five and six o^clock P. M. General Scott, with his bri-
gade, marched past the picket on the road to Queenstown. The
parties cf ths enemy in view retired at his approach.

" Near the falls, and on the ground occupied by the enemy as
heretofore mentioned, General Scott's advance were fired on, and a
few minutes after, the action became general. Captain Spencer^
General jBrowji's aid, rode up and inquired, " ivhere -was the firing?''*
and when informed returned to camp. Having received orders, I
moved with the picket to join General Scott, and not far in my rear

GENERAL WILKINSON. (579

in the forenoon reported to the field ofticcr of the day, chap.
Major Leavenworth, of the 9th infantry, that he had dis- ^^•
covered the enemy on post in his front. The Major re-
connoitred the position, with a spy glass, and plainly
perceived many officers in British uniforms. These cir- Repoftof
cumstances were immediately communicated* hy him to Leaven-
General Brown, who treated the information with slight, worth t«
observing, •« the enemy could not be in force, as he had Brown.
thrown a large portion of his troops across the river from and his an-
^ueenstown to Lewistown, with tlie intention to visit Old
Fort Schlosser, directly opjwsite to his (^ISrown's) camp,
where he had been making a deposit of sick, ammimition,
baggage and provisions; the report of such a movement had
reached General Brown, and not having boats to transport
his sick or stores to the west side of the river, or to throw
over a detachment for their protection," he, it is presumed,
for the first time, saw the desperation of his situation,
and, as drowning men catch at straws, without further
examination, « he ordered the first brigade under General General
Scott, to march immediately for (lueenstown, in the vain ^^j.^^ ^^
expectation that its appearance there would divert the enemy march for
from his enterprise against Fort /S'c/<iosser,"f which he took town.
for granted, because the stroke would have affected him
vitally.

Wc have little chance of penetrating General Brown's
i-eal circumstances or motives of conduct, on the memo-
rable 25th of July, from his official letter written to the
Secretary of War many days after, and of course calcu-
lated to veil or to give a colouring to the imbecility and
improvidence of his measures ; yet by combining ob-

w.ss the second brigade under General Ripley. The mavements dur-
ing the remainder of the battle are detailed in Captain M'Donald's
lestimony, which, as far as my knowledge extends, is correct. Gene-
ral Ilipley was singularly brave and active.

" A. W. ODELL, Captain 23d Infantry."

* See Appendix No. IX, Colonel Leavenworth's sUitemcnt.
t See ibid.

680 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, vious circumstances to the admissions of that letter, we
^^^..^J, niay be enabled to form deductions the most reasonable
and solid, if not minutely correct in all their parts. The
letter I allude to excites suspicion on many accounts, and»
among the number, from the circumstance of its being
presented to the public without a date; for thus it is pub-
lished in Niles's Register of September 1st, from which I
make the following extracts :
General " You arc already apprised that the army had on the

^ffi°^"n ^^^'* "'^' *^'^*'" ^ position at Chippawa.* About noon of
ten, with- that day. Colonel Swift, who was posted at Lewistown,
referred' ^''^'^^'1 "^^ ^Y Pxprcss, that the enemy appeared in con-
to, and siderahle force in Qiieenstown and on its heights; that
quo e . ^^^^^ ^j. ^1^^ enemy's fleet had arrived during the preceding
night, and were then lying near Fort Niagara, and that
a number of boats were in view moving up the strait;
within a few minutes after this intelligence iiad been re-
ceived, I was further informed by Captain Denraan of
the quarter-master's department, that the enemy was
landing at Lewistown, and that our baggage and stores at
Schlosser, and on their way thither^ were in danger of im-
mediate capture. It is proper here to mention that, having
received advices as late as the 20th, that our fleet was
then in port, and the commodore sick, we ceased to look
for co-operation from that quarter, and determined to
disencumber ourselves of baggage, and march directly
for Burlington heights. To mask this intejiiion, and to
draw from Schlosser a small supply of pro-cisions, I felf.
back upon Chippawa. Jls this arrangement, under the
increased force of the enemy^ left much at harvard on our
own side of the J^iagara, and as it appeared by the before
stated information, that the enemy was about to avail him-

* The reader's particular attention is called to this letter, in which
the General cautiously confines his motives for falling back to Chip-
pawa, " to other objects" but does not define what those objects were,
nor could he, as the fate of his army was at that moment suspended
by a hair, i. e. the enemy's taking' possession of his baggage and
stores at Schlosser.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 681

self of iU I conceived that the most effectual method of re- chap.
calling him from this object, was to put myself in motion ^^■
towards ^ueenstown. General Scott, with the first bri- ^^""^^^
gade, Towson's artillery, and all the dragoons and
mounted men were accordingly put in march on the road
leading thither, with orders* to report ift/ie enemy appear-
ed, and to call for assistance if that was necessary. On the
general's arrival at the falls,^ he learned that the enemy
was in force directly in his front, a narrow piece of woods
alone intercepting his view of them.

" Waiting only to give this information, he advanced
upon them ; by the time assistant Adjutant-general Jones
had delivered his message, the action began, and before
the remaining part of the division had crossed the Chip-
pawa, it had become close and general between the ad-
vance corps.^ Though General Ripley, wi(h the second
brigade, Major Hindman, with the corps of artillery,
and General Porter, at the head of his command, had
respectively pressed forward with ardour, it was not less
than an hour before they were brought to sustain^ General
Scott, during which time his command most skilfullyw and
gallantly maintained the conflict. Upon my arrival, I
found that the General had passed the wood and engaged
the enemy at Qupcnstown road, and on the ground to the
left of it, with the 9th, 11th, and 22d regiments, and

* This is inconsistent with the plan of d'lvefsion, or the informa-
tion ot General Miller and Colonel Leavenworth, who both say the
order \vj.s peremptory to march to Q.ieenstown.

-j- Barely two miles from General Brown's camp.

i: That is at 60Q ycirds distance, befween General Scott, tuith 4 or
500 American troops, who had been ordered to Queenstown, and a
British divinion of 2500 men toith seven pieces hf artillery. General
Brown, it seems, can convert the first brigade detached from the
main body on a separate command, into an advanced corps, with the
same ease that he converted the main body into a I'eserve at Street's
creek. No matter; the public will hot understand it, and the Presi-
dent will give it currency.

§ They covered General Scott ; they did not S7tsiain him.

Ij Standini^ stock still under the lire of the enemy's battery, where
the roops were slaughtei'ed -without skill. See the statement of
Colonel Leavenworth, of the 9th regiment.
VOL. I. 4 R

Qg^ MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. Towson's artillery. The 25tli had been thrown to the
^^'- right to be governed by circumstances. Apprehending
*^''~''^**^ that these corps were much exhausted, and knowing that
they had suffered severely, I determined to interpose a new
line* with the advancing troops, and tlius disengage Ge-
neral Scott, and/ioW his brigade inreserve."'[

The reflections v.hich naturally arise out of this expo-
sition, are, that the American Generals^ had no idea of
the advance of the enemy, until the receipt of the in-
telligence from General Swift, at noon on the 25th; al-
though General Drummond reached Qiieenstown that
morning, and General Rial had marched on to Lundy's
lane the evening before,^ within 4700 yards of General
Brown's camp, with a division of 2500 infantry, a troop
of dragoons, and seven pieces of artillery ; yet General
Brown informs the Secretary of War that he fell back
from Queenstown the 2'ith, by way of ruse, and " to
draw from Schlosser a small qiiantity of provisions to ena-
ble him to march directly for Burlington heights" forty se-
ven miles distant; at the moment too when General
Drummond was advancing upon him, within a day's
march, by the very route from those heights, with a heavy
reinforcement. On hearing of the enemy's arrival at
Queenstown, the general acknowledges that by his own

* By orJering'- General Ripley to form in the wood on the right of
Scott in i,i. See testimony ofCaplain M'Donald, and Diagram, No.
XIII.

-j- Here again the advance is converted into the reserve.

+ I allude always to Brown and Scott, who acted in concert, the
first being subordinate to the second, and of course no measure was
adopted without his approbation. Ripley had, I understand, op-
posed the passage of the strait from the beginning, and was thought
lightly of by the others.

§ Captain Odell declares that he discovered the advanced guard
of the enemy, between eight and nine o'clock on the morning of the
25lh, that is, as soon as he mounted his picket, which, if other
proofs were wanting, would shew that the ground at Lundy's lane
• liad been occupied the evening before, and the British guard proba-
bly then sent forward; as the hour was too early for the enemy to
have broken up one camp, made a march, pitched another, recon-
noitred his ground, and sent out his pickets on the morning of the
same day.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 683

mismanagement he had " left much at hazard on our own side chap.
of the JYiagara, and that it appeared the enemy was about to ^ ^'•
avail himself of it ;" that is, tliat the enemy liad, at last, '"^'^^''"^^
determined to seize upon the advantages he had ofleicd
them, by crossing the strait into Upper Canada; of
which, it would appear, our chief was only made sensible,
by the report of General Swift, at a time when the des-
tiny of the gallant corps under his orders, depended on a
single movement of the enemy. Here wc have the evi-
dence of the general's own pen, to shew how irretrievably
he had committed to the enemy, ihc division intrusted to
his command; for if General Drummond, after General
Brown's escape from Queenstovvn the 2'Lth, had, the
next day, pressed forwajd the detachment of 500 men
with the Indians, which he sent up to Lew istown, from
Niagara, under a Colonel Tucker, to old Fort Schlos-
ser, only six miles further, they would have met with
no obstacle in getting possession of the baggage and
provisions of the American army; and thus cut off
from supplies and resources, and pressed in rear by a
superior force, they could not have effected a retreat
to Detroit, and must have laid down their arms or
been destroyed. It is evident when General Scott march-
ed, that neither Brown nor himself knew any thing of
the actual situation of the enemy, for Scott was to move
" towards (Ineenstown, and if the enemy appeared he ivas
to report, and if necessary was to call for assistance.''* Now
the very provisions of tiiis order, if to be credited, shew
that when Scott marched with 700 men towards Queens-
town, he knew not when, or where, or in what force, he
should meet the enemy, or whether he should meet them
at all.* Was there ever such a scene of blind ignorance
and rashness exhibited in the conduct of an army ? I ap-
peal not only to military men, but to every intelligent,
reflecting person ! and to such officers has President
Madison confided the safety of the country and the

* If they had crossed the strait as Brown expected, he would not
have met them at all, and this no doubt was the calculation when he
marched, or surely the second brigade would have been held in
readiness to support him.

684; MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, lives of its citizens. With a single remark I ''liali dis-
^^' miss tliis dateless official letter of General Brown, and
pursue my narrative j whoever will take the pains to ex-
amine and compare it with the facts and rircumstanccs
herein detailed, will find it more abundant in fctions and
falsehoods than any public document of equal length, ex-
tant in our language.

General Scott, according to concert, marched between
five and six o'clock* in the afternoon, with the skeletons
of the 9th, nth, 22d, and 25th regiments, Towson's ar-
tillery, a troop of United States and a party of volunteer
dragoons ; but it does not appear that any precautions
were taken to ascertain tlje position or force of the enemy,
or to support this movement, nor was the second brigade
even advised of it.f Yet this devoted handful of choice
spirits, panting for glory, marched off with light hearts;
alas ! how many of them were destined, tvithout benefit to
themselves or their country,^ never to witness another
rising sun! I have heard that, while the troops w^ere fall-
ing in, Major M'Neil made some observations to General
Scott, touching the smallness of his force, and the hazard
to which it would be exposed, in marching against an
enemy whose strength and position were itnknoxvnf on
which the general turned to his portable library, and
pulled out a volume^ wherein he read to the Major an ac-
count of a certain General^ who, at a certain time and
place, had, with a th<)usand men, beaten fourfold num-
bers. It is further reported that the late Major Wood,
th€ engineer, by repute an intuitive soldier, ac(omi)anied
General Scott in this movejnent, and riding in front of
the column, arrived alone at Mrs. Wilson's, precisely
two miles from Chippawa bridge. It was at this house
the advanced guard of the enemy had been posted in the

* See narrative of Captain Odell.

t See Captain M'Donald's testimony.

* These brave men had acquired honour at Street's Creek, but
here they were cut to pieces by a battery at 6G0 y:<rds distance,
whilst throwing away an ineffectual fire, by which it Is believed by
men on the fields not thirty of the enemy were Icilled or wounded.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 685

forenoon, and Major Wood was there informed that Ge- CHA.1'.
ncral Rial and his suite had just left the house, that the ^^
British army, in .^reat force, were encamped behind a ,^]^^^I^^^*^
wood a few hundred yards to the northward, and that gtnce rc-
they were determined to attack the American army the ^5^)^^'''^
next day. Majr)r Wood returned with this information to Wood, and
General Srott, then under marcli, who transmitted it to cated to'
General Brown, and as if determined to lead his handful of f^eneral
men headlong to destruction, he quickened his pace; and, for
what reason needs explanation, when marching in open
ground, he threw off the whole 9th regiment into a left
flank guard, c, c, c, and advanced in quick time'*' upon the
enemy, who retired hoforc him. In this order he moved Movement
forward to the fork of the road at tlic margin of the sc(m"lnd
wood,f where he received a shot from the enemy, and liisdisps-
halted. He then recalled the 9th regiment into the co- his force.
lumn, detached Major Jesup with the 25th regiment to
his right in d, </, to « seek and attack the enemy's lejty'%
of course without knowing their strength or position.

At this critical stage of the operation, accounts become
obscure and irreconcileablc ; I will endeavour to do justice
to the adverse statements; I collect from Colonel Lea-
venworth, "that General Scott, havingdetached the 25th
regiment, inverted tlie order of his march, '^ and proceeded
with the 22d, 1 1th, and 9th regiments; passing his advanced

* As General Stark was crossing Charlestown neck, the 17th of
June 1775, to the defence of Breed's Hill, at the head of his regiment,
the troops were galled by a very brisk cross fire from the floating
batteries of the enemy, in Charles and Mystic Rivers; Captain (now
General) Dearborn, who was about to flesh his maiden sword, ob-
serving the effect of the enemy's shot, suggested to Stark, who was
moving, with a very deliberate pace, that by quickening Iiis march he
would the sooner relieve the column from the fire of the enemy. Stark,
with a look peculiar to himself, turned his eyes upon Dearborn, and
remarked, " Dearborn, don't you kno-w, that one fresh man in action is
■worth t~,uo fatigued ones .?" This was an impressive lesson which
General Scott had not received, notwithstanding the extent of hi';
experience, and his vast rangc'm '' PARTIZAN WAR.'*

f See Atlas, No. XII.

4^ See Narrative of Colonel Leavenworth.

§ See narrative of Colonel Leavenworth.

686 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, guard, which had been halted, he traversed the wood
^^- about two hundred and forty yards deep, and discovered
^T^^l^^^ the enemy on a height in his front, formed in battalia,
Scott dis- with a heavy battery on their left; he then wheeled to his
enlmy i^n^ '^^^ ^"^^ ^ smooth field on tlie west of the road. It was now
order of about half after five o'cjock P. M. when the enemy open-
i's^attack-'^ ed his battery of nine pieces, two of them twenty-four
ed before pounders, within canister distance, and commenced a
iiTrmt" ^'"'^^^ ^^^ ^*'^"^ ^ heavy line of infantry, posted to the
right and obliquely in front of their battery. After ad-
vancing into the field so far as to have the rear of the
hattalion or regiment* in advance clear of the woods;
General Scott ordered « FORM LINE TO THE
FRONT." The right of the column being in front,
this order was immediately executed by the echcllon
movement of companies to the left. The 22d and 11th
regiments moved in column until gaining their respective
distances formed line in the same manner. At about the
same time, the company of artillery under Captain Tow-
son, moved up and formed on the right of the 9th regi-
ment, and, by frequent and incessant discharges, highly
animated the spirits of the troops. Under this formation
the action continued nearly an hour, when it was reported
that the 11th regiment, being out of ammunition, had re-
tired from the field, and for the same cause the 22d regi-
ment soon after followed." The preceding details are ta-
ken in substance from a printed narrative of Lieutenant-
colonel Leavenworth, who commanded the 9th regiment
on the sanguinary occasion, in which he appears to have
taken an active and determined part ; and it is on this
information specifically, that I have formed General
Scott's line, and given the enemy his position in the
Diagram No. XII. ; but how shall we reconcile the very
opposite accounts, which have been rendered on oath be-
fore^a tribunal of justice? I will answer from what I have
witnessed, that in warm military combats, an officer at
the head of a platoon or battalion, who does his duty, can
see very little beyond his immediate command, and that

* That is, 150 rank and file, or one coinpany and an half.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 687

different men see the same objects with different optics, cm A p.
In the present instance, the gentlemen quoted are, I un- '^^■
dcrstand, all of irreproachable character and confessed
honour. Colonel M'Ncil, who commanded the Ilth re-
giment on this bloody arena of Lundy's lane, being call-
ed as a witness on the trial of Captain Blake, of tiie ar-
tillery, for imputed misconduct in that affair, when a
lieutenant in the 11th infantry, declares, " that on the Testimony
25th of Jultj General Scott^s brigade tvas ordered out to yi-xeii"^'
drive back the enemy as he supposed ; he commanded the
11th regiment, marched, and soon ajter passed the falls of
Niagara, near which they received a shot from the enemy,
about which time General Scott was making a disposition of
his brigade^ we were at this time passing a defile, very near
where we received the shot ; the 22d regiment, which was
on my front, kept nearly a direct course, "while the 9th ami
Ilth wheeled on the left, nearly forming a right angle with
the 22d regiment; when the Ilth was in the act of wheeling,
the 22d broke, and ran athivart the Ilth, arid broke several
platoons considerably to pieces; I was a little in front where,
the breach took place ; I observed it, and wheeled my horse,
in order to collect tlie men if possible, bnt the bushes being so
near, they gained them% which made it impracticable for me
to perform that duty; in addition to which my regiment
was under a very heavy fire, and I thought my presence
necessary with it. I met Lieutenant Blake, who told me
his platoon had broke and fled from him in spite of all he
could do. I ordered him to pursue, collect, and bring them
back. The Ilth regiment was not engaged when Lieutenani
Blake- s platoon broke. I was wounded in the commencement
of the action and retired from the field ; it was then dark ;
General Ripley's brigade had not then got 2ip." Captain Captain

Craw-

Crawford on the same trial deposes, '<lwas adjutant off^'j-j^-
the ilth regiment ; after the firing of small arms had ceased, timon_%
the encmifs cannon continued to fire, and killed and xvound-
ed many of our men. The brigade was counted off into
eight platoons, and the officers ordered to take platoons witli-
out being posted. The Ilth regiment.on the left of t/ie brigade
consisted of thirty we?i/' Lieutenant Sawyer on the same

s tes

688 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, trial says, « Captain Blake* s detachment was ordered by
^^" General Scott to the right of the brigade, iviien it commenced
, . afre upon the enemy ; the Jive was continued until a great

nvint S3iW- proportion of the detachment were killed or wounded."^
mony!^^^^ Lieutenant Thompson suears, <♦ that at the battle of
Lieut. Bridgewater, at the time our brigade rvas wheeled into line,
soii's"te'sti' our platoons on the left of the l\th regiment, four or fixt of
"*°"y- them, or three or four for certain, broke and fell back into
the rear, into a piece of wood ; that at the time the brigade-
was formed anew, there was a great deal of covfusion, there
was some difficulty in obtaining commands; there were
two commissioned officers file closers in the platoon to which
I belonged; the officers were not assigned to their posts, but
took them as they could find them" Sergeant Blake, of
the 6th, formerly of the late 11th regiment, called as a
Sert'eant Witness on the same trial, swears that <»m the battle of

Blake's Bridscwater, the llth regiment broke and retired through
testimony. ^ ,. , , , .

the woods. I got a few men collected. When the Pnsoner

came through the woods and joined me, he had collected
more men; we then marched into the road; we stopped tliere
a short time ; we then marched into a field the other side of
ihe road, and stopped there a short time, it is impossible for
nu to tell how long; we were on the move to return back
into the road, when an officer rode up and ordered us to the
field of action; we then proceeded and formed on the right
of the first brigade ; we opened a fire upon the enemij ; the
remainder of the brigade were out of cartridges ; I should
judge we were engaged twenty-five or thirty minutes. The
brigade w«s then formed into a battalion after the firing
had ceased, and counted off into platoons ; we remained
there until after tlie second brigade passed by; we then
wheeled up into open column, and marched some distance,
I cannot tell how far, and formed a line by a fence; we re-
mained there some time, and received cartridges, wheeled

* A single platoon keepinpf up a fire)against seven pieces of artille-
ry in the dai-k, at 600 yards distance, until the greater part of the
men are killed or wounded, is not the least of those reat achieve-
meats for which President Madison has exalted General Scott.

GENERAL WILKINSON. Qgg

again inlo open column, and marchtd on to the hill." Cor- chap.
poral Zabiiie Hubbard, formerly a toijMjral in the late ^^
11th regiment of infantry, called as a witness un the '^'^"^''^^'^
same trial, swears that -'/ie xvas corporal of the co/our Corporal
guard, on the 25th of July , 1814; we met the English army ""'J>'ard's
at a place that was then called Bridgexuater ; we were ^

ihrowninto confusion by their heavy fre, and broken; after
being thrown into confusion, I heard Colonel, then Major
M*JVeil, order the Prisoner to the rear co collect absconders ;
this was before we had given any fire to the enemy; we
afterwards formed and fought, I should say, about three
quarters of an hour; I was then wounded, and returned to
camp. Immediately after I left the line, about thirty five
rods in the rear, I saw the Prisoner marching fifty men, or
thereabouts.*^

It appears from this testimony that the skeletons of Diagram
regiments belonging to the first brigade, led to the field j^correct
by Brigadier-general Scott, were never f()rmed in line,
of course the Diagram founded on Colonel Leavenworth's
report is erroneous ; and w hen we take into considera-
tion, that the 25th regiment had been detached in quest
of the enemy, that the 9th marclied 150 men only from
the camp, and that a large portion of the 22d atwl
the 11th, broke and retreated before they had engaged General
the enemy, I think it a fair presumption, tliat Briga- P*^.""*?
dicr-general Scott did not at any period during the breaks be-
affair at Lundy'slane, command more thaniOO rank and ^P""^ "^^'"-^

lormed.

file ,• and that when the fragments of the three regiments its force.
were incorporated, and told off into eight platoons, they
did not exceed 120 file, or 240 men.*

I have taken much pains to ascertain with precision. Respect-
at what point of time this action commenced, on which M^^ ^'^*

time ftt

subject there is also a diversity of opinions. Colonel which the

Leavenworth thinks the enemv's battery was opened »<=^'0"

* commea-

about half past five o'clock. Captain Odell, who com- ced.

manded the picket on the road to Queenstown, two miles iu

• A Major's diminutive command, about which, and the Brigadier,
more noise and bragging has been made than about the Duke of Cum-
berland's column at Fontenoy, or the immortalised Dessaix at Marengo
vuL. L 4 8

690 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, rear of Scott's positioji, says, that the first brit?ai!e pass •
^ p(' him hetween five and six o'clock. Captain M'Donald,
on his oath, declares it was about half an hour before sun-
set when the firing commenced. Colonel M<Neil declares,
on his (tath, that he was wounded in the commeJicement of
the action, and retired from the field, and it appears it
7vas then dork. Major Riddle, the brave partizan, who,
with 100 men, had been sent out in the forenoon by Gene-
ral Brown to reconnoitre the enemy, and who assured him ,
they were not in force, and desired him to take off the
picket at Mrs. Wilson's, having proceeded to (B), and
discovered tljerc was a body of the enemy on his left, he
retired, but had not got back before General Scott march-
ed j be says he reached tlie bridge of Chippawa just as
he heard the first gun, and it was at that time about sun-
set; but a very correct young gentleman, Lieutenant
Shaw of the 1st regiment, is more circumstantial. *' The
regiinent,^' says this promising young oflicer, *♦ landed
from the opposite side cf the strait, half a mile above Chip-
pawa, 150 strong. The retreat xvas beating in camp when
■ the first gun xvas fired, and the regiment marched without
music in consequence of the lateness of the evening. They
reached the camp at Chippawa iftcr the second brigade had
marched, got to the field of battle in the dark when the Qlst
regiment was engaged, and, advancing through a heavy
fire, fell in on the left of that regiment and the right of the
volunteers. The 1st regiment once fell back fifty yards by
order, but never retreated or broke; he says <«if xvas so dark
that two or three of the British officers mistook the regiment,
marched up, and were made prisoners.'* Bi-evet Major
Marston, then of the 21st regiment, declares, that " the
fire commenced about sunset, while the troops were paraded
for roll-call."

From all these facts and circumstances, it may be fairly
inferiTd that the action was commenced about sunset, and
I will endeavour with the assistance of Diagram No.XTI,*
to place before the reader the opening scenes of this mur-
derous nocturnal rencontre. Neither the hazardous sjie-

* See Atlas,

GENERAL WILKINSON. qqi

culations of General Brown, nor the blind temerity of cnAP
General Scntt, will warrant the susi)iiion that either ol' ^^'•
them would seek a traffic in human life, unless they be- ^TT^"^*
lieved the adventure promised a favourable result; for tions on
this reason, as well as the proposed enterprise against I'v^^^f
Burlington heights, it inevitably follows, that these chiefs General
must have been so ill informed of the movements of the proposed
enemy, as not to be apprised of the reinforcements which "larch to
had reached General Rial, or of the near approach of town,
that officer to their carap; and that in this state of igno-
rance, and under the impression that Rial, who knew
the country, was about to take tiie advantage offered to
liim at Schlosser, which could have been effected without
difliculty, the associate chiefs were reduced to the fright-
ful dilemma, of awaiting the menaced ruin in their camp,
or of throwing Scott back upon Quecnstown ', with the
faint hope that his approach to that place might recal
Rial, if lie was really passing tlie river, or in the more
precarious expectation, that sliould he find Rial's corps
divided, he might cut up his rear. General Brown ex-
pressed his disbelief that tlie enemy was in force near
him, both to Colonel Leavenworth and to Major Riddle,
although they had made abundant demonstrations to
warrant a different C(»n(lusion. General Scott's orders
which directed him to Qucenstown, the very late hour of
his march, the entire want of precaution before he march-
ed, and the total neglect of preparation to support him
afterwards ; the mystery and reserve which appears io
have attended the movement of the brigade, and the sur-
prise*' and hurry which ensued the commencement of the
action, all tend to prove that General Brown ai»d his se-
cond were the dupes of their inexperience, their confi-
dence and want of caution. But for the delusion General
Scott would hardly have pressed througli the wood, be-
yond Mrs. Wilson's, to put himself, with 700 men, with-
in the grasp of the British General, who, it is asserted and
believed, commanded 2500 men, and by a decisive move-

• captain Oclell, who commanded the advanced guard, says, when
the firing commenced, Captain Spencer, General Brown's aid-de-
canip, rode up and asked, *' -uihere vas the Jiving?"*

6Q2 MEIMOIRS BY

CHAP, ment at the beeinninj; of the action, could have crushed
Scott in five minutes as well as five hours. Let the eye
be carried to the Diagram No. XII.,* and what a specta-
cle is presented to a military man. The enemy on a
Position strong position arrayed in battalia c, e, e,| with a heavy

oftlieBri-, . n . < i • x ^ i-

tish corps. Dattery ot seven pieces posted on an eminence aty, adja-
cent to the church g, and just in front of Lundy's lane,
hf h. On making tl»e discovery of the enemy's force and
General position, General Scott's situation ought to have heen a
tuation ^' P""'/^'^ One. To have fallen back immediately, under co-
and duty, ver of the Wood in his rear, and on liis right, which would
liave been the resort of any officer of prompt resource and
true VALOUR,:): might have exposed too plainly the
rashness and folly which had so absolutely committed the
troops he commanded ; and to have advanced on the
enemy would have been a wilful and inhuman sacrifice of
them. With shame in his rear and destruction in his
front ; without military experience, or presence of mind
to extricate him from the dilemma into which he had
plunged himself, he halted at the point of the field, the
most remote from the enemy's batteiy, and paralysed not
by personal fear, but a state of frenzied impotence, he
suffered the gallant 9th and the men of tlie 11th and 22d
regiments, who were brought into action, to remain fixed

Hlsposi- to the spot; and thus circumstanced the reader will find
tion.

* See Atlas.

f Let it be remembered tbat this position rests on the narrative

of Colonel Leavenworth.

+ I do not deny to General Scott the attribute of animal courage,

but I contend that his conduct at Lundy's lane was not directed by

true valour, which is thus beautifully described by the Poet :—

" What is true valour ?

It is the greatest virtue, and the safety

Of all mankind ; the object of it's danger

A certain mean 'twist Fear and Confidence ;

Mo iiiconsid'rate rashness, or vain appetite

Of false encount'rlng formidable things,

But a true science of distinguishing

What's good or evil. It springs out of reason,

And tends to perfect honesty, the scope

Is always honour, and the public good:

It is no valour for a private caicse.''

<^^

GENERAL WILKINSON. 693

him, in a, a, his right covered by Towson's artillery, and cf?ap.
his rear resting on the wood, through which he iiad just ^^
passed.

It will not be denied, that the General who, with the principles
means in his power, does not know how to guard himself "^^•^"'"^'',

* ^ contrastea

against defeat, is as unfit to command an army, as lie with the
who will see no difficulty, and consults his couraarc only. ^°"^"c* "f

•' ' a J empty pr^-

If General Brown had possessed more experience and tenders
knowledge of his profession, and General Scott less con-
fidence and temerity, the lives of valiant men and faith-
ful citizens, would not have been rashly thrown away. If
the former had waited the return of the reconnoitring
party, sent out by him under Lieutenant Riddle, he would
have received information of the proximity of the enemy,
which ougfd to have prevented the detachment of the lat-
ter to make a diversion at Queenstown ; or if General
Scott, after receiving inforination that the enemy were
in forco within half a mile of him, had thought more of
(lie public service, and less of personal distinction ; if he
had possessed the circumspection and caution implied by
liis rank, he would have halted, reported to his com-
mander, and waited the result ; and, in the mean time,
he would have reconnoitred and ascertained the enemy's
numbers and position. Such would have been the con-
duct of an officer of the least judgment and discretion.
It was warranted by principle and enjoined by duty,
since it is aj)parent he was detached to make a diversion,
and not to bring on an action with a superior force, un-
der every circumstance of disadvantage ; besides, the
precaution might have saved much, and could have cost
nothing; for if tlie enemy had been found in dominant
force, he could have deliberated on the expediency of
making an attack or not, and in case of an affirmative
conclusion, he could then have determined on the most ad-
vantageous plan of conducting it. On the contrary, if
the enemy had not been in force, they would have vanish-
ed before his parties of observation, and he could then
have pursued his march for Queenstown without obstruc-
tion.

69Ji

MEMOIRS BY

CHAP.
XV.

General
Scott's
conduct
and igno-
rance ex-
posed.

Opera-
tions of
General
Scott by
the state-
ment of
Colonel
Leaven-
worth.

Let us see what was the conduct of General Scott :
Instead of pursuing this salutary judicious course, he
transmits a hasty report to his commander, advances
upon the enemy " in quick iinUy^^ as if to prevent their
escape, inverts* the order of march, throws his vanguard
into his rear, and leads liis puny force into so injudicious,
exposed, and defenceless a position, that the hrave men
who had conquered by his side at Street's creek, could
not withstand the destructive fire poured down upon
them by the enemy's battery from the heights of Lundy*s
lane, but broke and fell back in disorder before they
were formed or had fired a shot.f But having taken the
position he lacked presence of mind to change it, whilst
the enemy deliberately desolated his ranks, and strewed
the field with killed and wounded.

In the order in which the reader found General Scott's
command, under the battery of Lundy's lane, in Dia-
gram No. XII., " it continued nearly one hour, during
which period Colonel M*JV*eil being wounded, the 11th regi-
ment retired from the field, and Captain Bliss, Lieidenants
Crawford a.nd Sawyer, and other officers of that corps,
offered their services to Colonel Leavenworth^ of the 9th re-
giment. About the same period, it was discovered that the
elevated position of the enemy's battery protected it against
that of Captain Towson, which had ceased to fire, and the
field appears to have been contended for b?) the enemy against
the 9th regiment alone, and the stragglers who had joined
it; in this eventfid moment. General Scott sent his aid-de-
camp. Captain Worth, with orders to Colonel Leavenworth
to advance upon the enemy, with a view to charge them;
he of course ceased fring, and advanced with supported
arms, until this order was countermanded." The preceding
is substantially the statement of Colonel Leavenworth,
in his narrative before referred to, and is conclusive as
to the shattered condition of the detachment of General
Scott, then probably reduced to less than 300 men j for

* See Testimony of Colont- 1 M'Neil.

t See ibid.

t See Appendix, No. IX,

GENERAL WILKINSON. 595

it must always be remembered, that tlic 9th rc(?imcnt chap.
mai(;he(l vvitli 150 men only; but this inloirnation of ^^
Colcincl Leavenworth, whilst it speaks emphatically for ^'^^'^^'^^^
the courage of his men and officers, discloses an instance
of General Scott's blind temerity, which would hardly
he credited from less respectable mithority, inasmuch as
ho ordered the 9th regiment, with the stragglers who had
joined it, say in the whole 300 men, to charge the British
line estimated at 2500.

During this period of more than an hour, while Gene- Action
ral Scott kept his station in a, a, and, at 600 yards dis- '^o"*'"';^'^

* ' ' ' J and rule

tance, maintained the unequal combat with his musketry, for retreat-
opposed to the grape and canister of the enemy's twenty- ^"^^ '^
four pounders; the British General, it would appear,
made light detachments from his centre and right through
the wood, to the edge of the field on the left of General
Scott, in i, i, which were noticed by Colonel Leaven-
worth, and attracted his fire ; but from a comparison of
circumstances, it must have been dark when the charge
was ordered, and Colonel Leavenworth soon after re-
ported to General Scott, by Captain Harris of the dra-
goons, whose voluntary proffer of his services, without
command, does honour to his zeal and gallantry, that
♦< the rule for retreating teas fulfilled,* but the general
ordered him to keep his ground, and announced the ap-
proach of General Brown with Ripley's brigade and
Porter's volunteers; and these corps soon after arrived,
the enemy having some time before ceased the fire of
small arms, and it is presumed fell backf to cover their
battery.

Here let us pause and make a few brief reflections. Reflec-
Why the British General did not profit of the advantage tio"son

'' * ° the con-

duct ot"
* As I had never heard of such a rule, I have sought information, General

and understood that General Scott has laid it down as a principle that Itial and
a corps may retire, -ivheji every third or fourth man is killed or -wounded. ^^"^'"•'^
This militarj' aphorism has also been attributed to General Moreau •
but I conceive if that great Captain ever did consr-.nt to it, it must
have been in a qualified sense.
I See Diagram, No. Xlll. r, c, q.

696 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. General Scott offered him, particularly wlien he issued
from the wood, and his corps was observed to break and

retire in disorder before it was formed, is to me utterly
inexplicable ; the temptation seemed too strong to be re-
sisted j for if he had even suspected a stratagem, he could
have pressed forward a thousand men, to feel the Ameri-
can detachment, without committing himself. Equally
surprising it is, that General Scott should have remained
stationary for more than an hour, on a spot from whence
lie could give the enemy little annoyance, but where, it
is in proof, his detachment was cut to pieces by their
canister and grape-shot ; and it is the opinion of officers
who were on the field, that he had not injured thirty of
t!ie enemy at the time the second brigade came to his
succour, his artillery being found inefficient from their
position, and his musketry too remote to produce any
effect. Between these chiefs it would be difficult to de-
cide who blundered deepest, he who declined the proffered
hoon, or he who made the wanton sacrifice.
Testi- Preliminary to the introduction of the troops who saved

mony of General Scott from extinction, and asserted the charac-

Captain

M'Donald tcr of the American arms, I think proper to refer the
and a reader to the luminous testimony of Captain McDonald,*

glance at a j i »

"court of rendered before a court of inquiry, instituted at Troy, in
inquiry, jj^^ ^^,^^^ ^j- j^g^ York, to examine into the conduct of
General Ripley, which was afterwards stifled by the exe-
cutive,] to prevent expositions more ample, more minute,
and more disgraceful, than those which now occupy my
pen.
Tills testi- From the details of this testimony of an officer, whose
miiiedlnd candour and veracity will not be questioned by his com-
appUed.

* See Appendix, No. X.

j- It is notorious that the favourite Scott, about this period, was
plying between Baltimoi'e and the metropolis to intrigue with and
give lessons to theSecretary of War at one place, and at the other to
exhibit a new model for military commanders. I have been informed
that this court of inquiry was dissolved by the order or at the desire
of General Scott, and I understand that the acting Secretary of War
assured General Uipley it was done in his abeence.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 697

rades in arms, it appears that the movement of General ciiai'.
Scott, on tlic 25th July, was so little understood in the ^^•
camp of General Brown, " that atjirst it was taken to be ^^"""''^^
foi' the purpose of parade and drill; that no information
had been received of the enemy to his knowledge from the
16th to the 25th of July ; that when General Scott moved
out in the (ifternoon, no idea was entertained that there
would be an action, nor had they any knowledge of the vici-
nity of the enemy ; that the first information they had was
from the firing ; it was then about half an hour before sun-
set; the second brigade was immediately formed, and
soon after received orders from the Aid-de-camp of Ge-
neral Brown, to advance and reinforce General Scott.
General Ripley immediately marched, and half a mile in
rear of the action, it being near dusk, the witness was
despatched to General Brown for orders, and met his
aid-de-camp, Captain Spencer, proceeding with orders
to General Ripley from General Brown, to form his bri-
gade in the skirt of the wood, in i, i,* on the right of Ge-
neral Scott. The brigade accordingly continued to ad- General
vancc, and was in the act of forming the line, when Ge- advances
neral Ripley observed to Colonel Miller and other com- °" ^^'s

own re-

manders, that to form a line in that place could be of no sponsi-

consequence, as they could not advance in line throuerli "^'^'^y ^"'^
* ^ contrary

the woods, and they were not within striking distance of to his or-
the enemy. He added that he would take upon himself the ^^''^•
responsibility of moving further on. towards the enemy be-
fore he formed, and sent the witness to apprise Greneral
Brown of his purpose, but not finding him, he imme-
diately joined General Ripley."

« Whilst advancing through the wood, the fire of the
enemy's battery was very brisk, and his shot and shells
fell thickly about the second brigade under marcli, but
appeared to be directed more particularly towards Gene-
ral Scott's detachment, which the second was then about
to pass. Under the impression that General Scott was
suffering severely from this continued destructive fire,

♦ See Diagram, No. XIII.

VOL. L i T

698 MEMOIRS BY

CFIAP. General Ripley determined to attempt to carry the bat-
^^' tery, and ordered Colonel Miller with the 21st regiment
Deter- *^ cxecute that service, which tliis dauntless officer cheer-
mines to fully undertook." Tiie public opinion seems to have been
enemy's'^ Unsettled, respecting the merits of tliis distinguished
battery, stroke of the war, for while the execution is universally
service he conceded to Colonel Miller, general Brown has made an
orders equivocal pretension to the discernment which suggested
Miller, it, with what justice let the following summary of facts

with the declare. Captain McDonald says, that about the time

21st regi- '■

ment. of passing General Scott, Ripley " remarked to the

witness and Colonel Miller, that he would detach the 21st
regiment under the latter to carry the enemy's artillery,
adding that unless this was done, they would destroy our
whole force, or compel us to fall back ; about the time
the 21st was preparing to move as directed, the witness
met General Brown, who inquired for General Ripley,
and asked ivhat dispositions he had made ? The witness in-
formed him ; he approved of it, and appeared quite elat-
ed with the intelligence, and accompanied him to General
Ripley ; some conversation took place between them, and
in a very few minutes both battalions were in motion."

Colonel Miller has made the following written decla-
ration, published at the office of the Boston Patriot in
1815: ^( That the enemifs artillery was advantageously
posted on a height commanding the plain ; the destruction
which it dealt through onr ranks, suggested the imperious
necessity of carrying the height ; this General Ripley de-
cided to he done with his own brigade; the 21si regiment
advanced and charged the battery in front; he led the 2,5d
upon their flank ; both these regiments present were less
than 700 men. The movement was performed in the most
heroic manner by both regiments, and in a few minutes we
found ourselves in possession of the whole park, consisting
of seven pieces, and the enemy was routed in every direc-
tion.^'* Thus speaks the unaffected, unambitious patriot
soldier and virtuous citizen, and thus the fictions and

* See Appendix, No. XI,

GENERAL WILKINSON. 699

fallacies of General Brown and his deluded advocates, cfiap.
must yield to the voice of truth and be silenced for ever. '^^ •
To demonstrate unequivocally this manly, brilliant ,, . ,

* ■' •' 1 art iciilar

C02t/;, worthy of the first troops of the world, I must call conductor
the particular observation of the reader to the Diagram brtgrde"^
JVo. XIII,* and will claim his attention to a simple detail
of operations at this interesting crisis of the affair. The
inarch of the second brigade is designated by the cross
bars in the road, its left Hank guard commanded by
Lieutenant Riddle, by dots in r, r, r. The Lieutenant,
on returning from his scout, heard the firing, a«id with-
out waiting for orders, yielded to his natural ardour,
and, although much fatigued, marched to support it,
without knowing who was engaged. On his march he
was overtaken by General Ripley, who threw him out
on his left flank ?■, r. r, as he belonged to the brigade.
After passing Mrs. Wilson's, from whence it is 700
yards to General Scott's first position a, a. General Rip-
ley halted, and sent forward Captain M'Donald to the
commanding General, to ascertain tlic situation of the
enemy, and to know at what point he should fall in and
engage. General Brown had anticipated the application,
and despatched his aid-de-canip. Captain Spencer, to
order the second brigade to form on General Scolt's right General
in the wood i, U conjiding in General Scott's discernment i„'ju^^"/
for the merits of the position, and not knowing what e/se cious or-
to do. It is true Scott's right was not pressed, and it '^
was also covered by Major Jesup, with the 25th regi-
iTient, of which General Brown was apprised ,• but as
Scott dare not apjjroach the enemy nearer, it occurred
to the chief that it would be unreasonable to expect the
second brigade to do it, and moreover the General had
lieard of extended lines, and this was the most natural
order which presented to him ; but if Ripley had not, Riplev'3
on approaching the spot assigned for his formation, pos- ^l'eclsto'n,
sessed discernment to discover the destruction to which it
Would expose him, and at the same time decision to wave
the order, and exercise his own discretion, the second,

* Spc Atlas,

700 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, like the first brigade, would have been cut to pieces,

^^,.^^„|^^ without offending the enemy. The facts are before the

reader, and will enable him to decide on the comparative

merits of these Generals.

Movement Ripley having concerted his plan with Colonel Miller,

oi the sc-

cond bri- the second brigade advanced in the dark. The battery
gade. of the enemy was, from its explosions, known to be on
an eminence, but the second brigade could have no know-
ledge of the number of its guns, or the force by which it
was supported. It was a hardy enterprise, imperiously
enjoined by the desperate circumstances into which Ge-
neral Scott had drawn the troops. Colonel Miller, with
the 21st, wheeled into a lane on the left of the road, and
displayed in ^,* with an orchard p, on his right. Ripley,
with the 23d regiment, under the immediate command of
the gallant unfortunate Major M'Farland, advanced in
column on the main road j he was unexpectedly fired on,
directly in front, and the troops fell back fifty or sixty yards,
but the disorder was recovered, and the. rpgiment re-form-
ed in five minutes, and advancing to Lundy'slane e, e, wheel-
ed to the left, and displayed in d. In the mean time, the intre-
pid, sagacious Miller, moved silently against the battery,
and reached the fence of the graveyard k, immediately in
front of, and under the guns, whose fire was pointed at
the position of General Scott, the British line being a
few rods in rear, in c, c, c. Directed by the fire of the
enemy. Colonel Miller poured in upon them a destructive
volley, prostrated the fence, and rushing upon the bat-
Colonel tery, carried it without a struggle, the artillerists ne»
Miller cessarily deserting their guns. The 21st was then ad-

c&rrics the *-*«-/

battery of vanced to Lundy's lane, and formed in m. The sur-
theenemy, prise attending this assault must have produced some
embarrassment in the British line, which gave Colonel
Miller time to respire. Soon, however, the gallant foe
advanced to recover what they had lost, and then a noc-
turnal rencontre took place, which was continued, at in-
tervals, for two hours, more close, obstinate, and bloody,

' Se« Diagram, No. XIII,

GENERAL WILKINSON. 7OI

than any conflict of the war, and in which the Ameiican cfiap.
arms uniformly prevailed. It was so dark at the time ^^'
that ohjccts could not be distinguished many paces, of
course the enemy, who could not observe the position of
the 23d regiment on their left flank, advanced directly
towards the captured guns, and came in contact with the
21st regiment, which, overpowered by numbers, was
staggering, when Ripley flew to Miller's assistance,
leaving directions for the 23d to advance, throw forwards and is sup,
its right wing, and attack the enemy in flank and rear ^* [he 23d. ^
the order was promptly executed, and the enemy again
surprised, broke and fell back.

Whilst these interesting, animated, and bloody scenes,
occupied the second brigade, I hear nothing of the com-
manding General, who, in such critical exigencies, ought
to display the powers of ubiquity were it possible ; and
it appears from the narrative of Colonel Leavenworth
and of Lieutenant Riddle, that General Scott continued
stationary in his first position in the corner of the field
at a, a. Lieutenant Riddle, now brevetted a Major, re- Major
ports, that being on the left flank guard of the 2d brigade, ^'<^^|^'^
the angle formed by the road as it enters the wood, threw
him, when he had passed it, upon General Scott's left, at
which time it was perfectly dark ; that he at first met
with Major Leavenworth, who ordered him to fall in on
the left of General Scott's brigade, which he found form-
ed across the corner of a field, and standing still, as well
as he could judge, two hundred strong, and about 400 or
500 yards from the enemy's battery on the height, wliich
at the time was playing on General Scott, and a shrap-
nell shell knocked down four men and an oflicer near
him. Soon after this the fire of the enemy ceased, and
the first regiment was discovered marching up the road,
on General Scott's right; the General ordered three
cheers ; the enemy again opened their battery, and Co-
lonel Leavenworth stepped forward and asked, « What

* These facts were reported to me by Captain M'Donald, who au-
thorised me to make the statement.

70S MEMOIRS BY

CHAP damned scoundrel it was who had given orders for the troops
^J.^1^ to cheer?'* Some person answered it was the General ; on
which the Colonel observed, <( it served to expose our po-
sition to the enemy.'* Again the battery ceased, and short-
ly after, General Scott rode up and said, « Good news,
my hoySf General Rial is taken, three cheers .'" and the
enemy again opened their battery. A third pause ensued,
and a heavy fire of small arms was observed directly in
front, and word was brought that the battery of the ene-
my was taken, and General Scott ordered a third cheer.
So far Major Riddle.
informa- '^ ''^^ "^^^^ ^^*^" from the narratives of Colonel Lea-
tion of venworth, and Lieutenants Crawford, Sawyer, and
Hants " Thompson, that not long after the capture of the enemy's
Crawford, battery. General Scott consolidated the shattered re-

Sawyer, ■ i- n • i i

and mains of his corps into one battalion of eight platoons,

Thomp- which appears to have been so hastily organised, that
the officers were not posted,=* <» but were directed to find
their places as well as they could." Previous to this,
a party of fifty men, who had been collected from the
fugitives of the 11th regiment, were brought up by Cap-
tain Blake, and placed on the right of the brigade, and,
by order of General Scott, the rest of the troops having
exhausted their ammunition, this party opened a fire in
the dark, directed towards the enemy, which they kept
up twenty-live or thirty minutes, during which time a
great part of the men were killed or wounded by the
enemy's battery. The officers having found places in
the consolidated battalion, which I shall in the Diagrams
designate the 9th regiment, it was wheeled into open co-

* The admirers of General Scott may call this an improvement in
Uie formation for battle, and it is indeed admirable for its novelty ;
for surely it is the first instance recorded in military history, in which
a battalion was marched against the enemy before the officers were
posted. It furnishes an incontestible evidence of the General's im-
petuosity and levity, and proves that he was more intent on making a
noise than performing solid service. If such conduct be unpardona-
ble in day -light, what shall we say of it in llie night, after the corp?
bad been broken and mingled ?

k-*lt;

GENERAL WILKINSON. 703

iumn by the right, and, flanked by Lieutenant Riddle's chap.
party r, was inarclied across the field in a westerly dire( - ^^
tion to a fence, and there took up a second position in a,*
soon after which Lieutenant Riddle was detached by informa-
General Scott to the left, to a fence by the side of a 1^^"^^'
wood, to watch some Indians who were yelling in that Hiddle.
quarter; and in this situation the Lieutenant was left
by General Scott, who marched off without S'^ing liim
notice ; some time after which, the Lieutenant, on his
own discretion, and directed by the fire, maiciied to tlie
top of the hill, and fell in on the left of General Porter's
volunteers.

Having halted at this fence, about 350 yards south of
the captured battery. General Scott despatched Colonel
Leavenworth in quest of General Brown for orders; the
Colonel sought for the General on the top of the hill,
where he witnessed the second close conflict of tlie British
force, and the American line under General Ripley;
after which he descended th*; ' hill, and found General
Brown, I am assured, in an orchard at p, from whence
he conducted him to General Scott, where I shall leave
him, and return to Lundy's lane.

After the first repulse of the enemy. General Ripley Formation
lost no time in forming a line with the 21st and 23d re- "^^^^-.^o^

i\rnci ii^tin

giments, rather obliquely to the rear from Lundy's lane, line in
in e, e, and was soon after joined by 150 men of the 1st i^^ue. '^ '
regiment, under Colonel Nicholas, who fell in on the
left, and the 25th about the same time was formed in
Lundy's lane, making an obtuse angle with the front of
the second brigade on its right : and most fortunately
Lieutenant Colonel Hindman, at the request of General
Ripley, brought up his artillery, giving Towson a station
on the right of the second biigade, ancl the noble martyrj
Ritchie, a place on the left of the 1st regiment, and

* See Diagram, No. XIII.

t It is reported to me, tliat this g'allant ofHcer, who fell in the ac-
tion, being badly wounded, was pressed to leave the field, but re
fused, declaring he would "die upon the field or be a witness to vie-
toi-y."

704 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, before the enemy advanced to the second charge. General

^^' Porter had moved up with his volunteers, who, with

Lieutenant Riddle's detachment, he formed en poUnce on

the left of the line in k, i.

Ripley in- While Ripley was forming this line, Captain M<Do-

Brown nald deposes, that « he was sent hij that officer to ask Ge-

whether neral Brown, whether the captured artillerij should not he

ture" ar- moved off the field towards Chippawa ;" he met General

tiUery Brown ascendinsj the hill, and delivered his message,

should not ° r • ± ^

be moved who replied, « there were matters oj more importance to

from the f^ttend to at that time, and he would see General Ripley

himself." He appeared higlily elated, and rode with him

*> to General Ripley, but he did not hear the conversation

which passed. After General Brown's interview with

General Ripley, he left the hill, as he understood, in

search of General Scott j but it appears from Colonel

Leavenworth's narrative, did not find him, as Colonel

Leavenworth, about the same time, was sent in quest of

General Brown by General Scott, and found him, after

Ripley's second combat, as has been said, in the orchard

at jJ-^

Second The Diagram No. XIV. will exhibit the several corps

charge of j y^ ^^ formed by General Ripley, when he received

the enemy. ' •' t. •>

the second charge of the enemy, who, after the first re-
pulse, fell back to /, /, /, but being re-formed, extended
th«nr line and advanced to g, g, g. This was a movement
to test the intrepidity of the combatants j it presented

* Captain Thomas Biddle had preceded the second brigade, and
vas overtaken by the 21st regiment, near the lane into which Colonel
Miller wheeled, when he displayed in h. Being apprised of the medi-
tated attack. Captain Biddle advanced a small distance on the main
road, and opened his battery in o, against that of the enemy, to amuse
them until Colonel Miller made his assault. He then continued his
march to the proximity of Lundy's lane, and formed in o, o, where he
received a front fire from the enemy, probably the King's regiment
and incorporated militia, stationed by General Drummondf on the
left of the road, which he returned, and in that position he continued
on his own discretion, covering the right of the American line, dur-
ing the whole action, in the course of which he received two wounds.

f See Appendix, No. XII.

GENERAL AVILKINSON. 705

one ol' those conjunctures in military conflicts, which ciiAl'.
steel the aflVctions, stifle the voice of humanity, merge ^^
personal apprehensions in a tempest of the passions, and
the soul is exalted beyond the sphere of mortal aitrac-
tions. In silence, with desperate purpose, the Ame-
rican line awaited the audible approach of their brave
antagonists. Tlie scene which followed is well de-
scribed by Captain M'Donald. " On finding the enemy
approaching y'^ says he, « General Ripley ordered the bri-
gade to reserve its fire until the enemies bayonets should
iouchf in preference to firing first. This was done with
a view to observe the flush of their musketSf and to take
aim by the assistance of their light. The order was obey-
ed. The enemy advanced witJdn ten or twelve yards of
the right, composed of the 23ri regiment; after receiving
their fire we returned it; the action then became general; a
tremendous coiiflict ensued for about twenty minutes, at the
end of which the enemy gave way, and again fell out of
sight," in g, g.

We left General Scott with the shattered remains of General

Scc;t.t's SC*

the brave little band he commanded, behind the fence at ^md
a,* in consultation with General Brown ,• and Colonel movement.
Leavenworth states, " that after Generals Brown and
Scott had conversed a few minutes, I was ordered by Gene-
ral Scott to take command of the consolidated battalion,
(Colonel Brady, who coinmanded it, being too much exhaust-
ed by loss of blood to command, though he declined leaving
the field) my orders were to march the battalion to the top
of the hill, and form there as a second line ; it was formed
in Lundy*s lane, with its right towards the J^Hagara road,
and its left in rear of the captured artillery." This move-
ment was accordingly made, after Ripley had repulsed
the second attack of the enemy,* but I find it impossible
to conform tliis third position of General Scott's com- His third
mand to Colonel Leavenworth's description, because position
Lundy*s lane was in front of this artillery ; I have there-
fore disposed of him in J,t agreeably to the points, he

* See Diagram, No- XIII.
t See Diagram, No. XI Vi
vol. I. 4 U

706 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, calls for, his right inclining to Lundy's lane, and his left
^^- to the captured artillery; the darkness may well ac-
count for any inaccuracy of his narrative. General Rip-
ley in the mean time threw forward the several corps
under his command, and formed them in alignement with
Towson*s artillery and the 25th regiment, in c, c* The
enemy, whose persevering courage could not be excelled,
but by men who sprung from the same stock, being re-
Third freshed and reorganised, advanced to the charge a third
tte ene-°^ time J and I must again take leave to give the reader
iny Captain McDonald's account, rendered on oath, of the

contest in which he took an active part, tf After an in-
terval of half an honr^ or three quarters^" says this officer,
<« the enenuj advanced in nearly the same manner" to d, d,
attacked precisely in the sainepoint, bnt did not approach so
near, before the firing commenced. The contest was more
severe, and I think continued longer than the last. The
same precautions ivere enjoined hij General Ripley, with
respect to the men^s reserving their fire, and the reception
of the enemy xvas equally warm. Some part of our right
and left gave way, but our centre, composed of the Qlst re-
giment, stood firm, with the exception of some platoons,
which also fell back. The enemy were repulsed, and again
retired," to g, g. During this conflict, as in the second,
Conductof nothing is heard of General Brown, whose sacred duty
Browrfand ^* '^^^ become, when his whole force was closely engaged,
the execu- to have taken the command in person, and directed its
operations. A man of true military sentinient would
have suffered martyrdom, sooner than thus yield up the
point of glory and honour to a subordinate ; yet the
General was on the field and not then wounded. Ap-
prised of this shameful direliction of duty, for which a
tribunal of honourable men must have degraded him, the
executive sympathies^ were interposed to save the chief from

• See Diagram, No. a XIV.

f BuL why did not those sympathies operate in favour of the friend-
less soldier Dyson ? who was sacrificed after the cowardice of Bla-
densburgh.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 7O7

exposition, and herein we behold one cause of the stifled ciiAr.
inquiry at Troy. '^^■

But it is time to ivturn to General Scott, who, it (;,.„^.,.^l
would appeal', Corgettiiig the gallant 25tli regiment under Scoii's
Major Jcsiip, although it belonged to his brigade, and ii'"';,cr,o'„^
avoiding all concert u ith the well formed line of the army, "^ Lundy's
which was contending with the superior force of the
enemy for the palm of victory, like a maniac ranged the
iicld in quest of blood, regardless from whatsir/c it flow-
ed. It is certainly a case without example in the annals
of military history, that the third in command sliould be
suflfercd to fight a sharp, sanguinary, desperate general
action, of two or three hours, without orders, direction,
or assistance from his superiors actually on the ground.
The line which defended the captured artillery, consist-
ed at this time of Towson's and Ritchie's artillery, the
25th regiment belonging to the first brigade, the 21st
and 23d regiments forming the second brigade, the
1st regiment which was not attached to either, and five
or six hundred volunteers under Brigadier-general Por-
ter, with Captain Biddle's artillery on the right in the
main road near Limdy's lane. Whilst the consolidated
battalion of General Scott, now presumed to be less than
200 men, v^'as halted in the position b, the enemy advanced
and commenced the combat which has just been described.
The General, who had been a short time absent, return- He makes
cd to the battalion at that juncture, and in "a ioud^^^^^^^^^
and animated voice," demanded of Colonel Leavenworth,
.<ARE THOSE TROOPS PREPARED FOR THE
CHARGE," and, without giving time for an answer,
added, "YES! I KNOW THEY ARE PREPARED
FOR ANY THING ;" and he then ordered the Colonel
to form them " in close column, left in front," which being
done. General Scott ordered, "FORWARD AND
CHARGE MY BRAVE FELLOWS,"* and, leading

* It is in vain I have tortured my imagination to discover the mo-
tive or policy of this vociferation in the dark. It could not be ex-
pected to frighten the enemy, but it exposed General Scott's position
and movement, and prepared his antag-onist for his reception; cf

708 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, ihe column iiimself, we passed through our line between
the pieces of uur artillery, and came in contact with the
left of the enemy's line, a short distance past the centre,
wiiich immediately gav« way ; oxving, hoxvet'eVf to the
da7'kncss of the night, our column became in some degree
irregular ; we passed the extreme left of General Porter^ s
volunteers, and again formed oiir meii in line." This de-
tail is given in Colonel Leavenworth's language, and if
admitted to be literally correct, what does it amount to I
That General Scott perceiving the approaching storm,
determined to signalise himself at the expense of his own
life, or by the extinction of the handful of courageous
men and ofScers he led. Pursuant to this purpose, he, in
a transport of bravery, plunged headlong into the fire
of the contending corps, near the American right, and
and passes being broken and disordered, he scrambled down between
between ^jjg adverse lines whilst closely engaged, and escaped,
tending with those who survived, by the American left, where
ranks of j^g formed in i. But if the reader will examine the

the two

armies. Diagram XIV, and compare the position of Gene-
ral Scott's battalion d, with that of Towson's artil-
tillery on the left of the 25th regiment, it will be per-
ceived that to charge between the guns of that battery,
Scott's battalion must have first moved down the line in
rear of the 25th regiment, and then wheeled to the right,
whilst there was no obstacle in the way to a charge t(f
the front, wliich being perpendicular to his line, was the
most natural and convenient ', and this is the idea of an
intelligent officer, who was on the ground, and it is for
this reason, and this only, I have given the battalion
that direction in this frantic charge, because the merits
of the operation cannot be affected by this or that de-
scription of it. We have Colonel Leavenworth's autho-
rity for the passage of this ill-fated detachment out by the

course it was foolish. It surely could not have been calculated for
the stage effect, with which it has been since employed, because
the impending scenes were of too awful a cast for such levity; and
it could not have been for the same cause that children sometimes
whistle in the dark. What then ?

GENERAL WILKINSON.

709

Jeff, and as llie troops were then engaged, it must have pass- cfrAP,
ed under the double lire of its friends and its foes,* which has ^^•
been more minutely detailed to me by several officers, who '"^'^^^^^^
were engaged in tlie line at the time. I am informed tliat
brave men were heard to exclaim, "ive are ready to meet
the fire of the enemij in any shape or forniy but we cannot
stand it and that of our own troops at the same time ;^* and
I am authorised to say by an officer wlio was in the
charge, that Lieutenant Brady, of the 22d, raising both
his hands to the 23d regiment, exclaimed that they were
firing on their friends. A platoon of the 1st regiment
ceased to fire, and informed their officers it was their own
men who were passing in their front.

But the spirit of the enemy, notwithstanding the issue Thefourth
of a third trial of strength, remained unbroken, and ^°™°**
they determined to try the cflfect of a fourth assault;
whilst the band of true blooded Americans, whose lives
should have been spared for some useful occasion, half
suffocated by the sulphureous stench of the atmosphere,
with parched throats and heated blood, silently, and
with unshaken fortitude, awaited the onset; and here
again facts w ill be best authenticated by the testimony of
Captain M'Donald." Jifter the lapse of about three quar- Testimo-
ters of an hourj" says this witness, " the enemy advanced captain
a fourth time to recover their artillenj. It was ourimpres- M'Donald.
sion they had been reinforced^ and this 7vas confirmed by
prisoners, who were taken at the time. The advance of
the enemy was similar to the two preceding ones, and the
Jire was again opened by their line ; General Ripley*s bri-
gade resei'ved their fire as before ; the duration and order of
the confict, its result, and the retreat of the enemy, were in
all essential points similar to the last.j In every attack the

* This is expressly stated by Captain Pentland, wlio brought up
the rear of Scott's column in this charge, and walked over the dead.
In the second mad exploit of onr liero, Captain Pentland led the So-
lumn and was wounded in the lane, and left to the enemy. He lost a
leg.

•\ With this difference, lliat the whole American line was shaken
by the superior force of tlic enemy, and with unexampled difficul!^

710

MEMOIRS BY

CHAP.
XV.

General
Brown and
President
Madiaon.

Genernl
Scott
seeks an
adventure
on the left.

enemy were repulsed. General Ripley made every possible
exertion to inspire and encourage his troops, and exposed
his person during the hottest of the fire of the enemy. I en-
deavoured several times to prevail on him to retire, but
tvithout effect. His perseverance was unremitted, some-
times acting as file closer as well as commander. He gave
his orders xvith perfect coolness and deliberation,* and at-
tended as far as was possible to their proper execution. The
7vitness never knew him more collected.

<« General Ripletfs position was never more than ten or
twelve paces in rear of the line; he received two balls through
his hat, and his horse was wounded during the encounters :
after the last attack, witness was despatched to General
Porter by General Ripley ^ with orders to him to send fifty or
one hundred volunteers of his command, to report to Colonel
M'Rea, and remove the captured artillery from the heights to
the camp at Chippawa. Witness delivered the order, and
saw the volunteers detached and marched on the hill."

Three ardent, critical and murderous combats had
now taken place, since the commanding General Brown
was heard of, and yet no measure had been adopted to
secure the object of contention, the captured artillery.
Whether ruminating in the orchard or elsewhere, I am
unable to say, as I cannot penetrate the veil of conceal-
ment which the executive interposed j but his absence,
alone, warrants his condemnation.

Having terminated the fourth and last triumphant
struggle between the British and American corps, where-
in the blood of valorous men was wasted in a vain con-
flict, which, excepting the diminution of the human race
and the expenditure of ammunition, ended where it began :
my attention is necessarily called to General Scott, who,
it has been seen, after the fiery course he ran from Rip-
were prevented retreating. The scales were equipoised, and the
breath of Heaven decided the balance in favour of the United States.
See tlie statement published at the office of the Boston Patriot, 1814.

* His orders were given in an under key rather than a boisterous
tone, and he was careful not to expose his person or his brigade by
cheering or shouting, but he appeared to know what he was about;
he was rational and collected.

GENERAL WILKINSON.

711

ley's right, Iialtcd ami formed tliat part of liis consnli- CIIVP.
tlalt'd battalion, wliicli had escaped the fire of the two '^^
linrs, on the left of Riddle's dctacliincnt in i, see Dia-
gram, No. a XIV. ', and from the facts and cirrumstanros
which have preceded, it may be fairly presumed, tliatlhis
battalion was now cut down to less than 150 men, the Estimated
original strength of the 9th regiment, whose name it * '■^",'"<^'''
bears. The situation in which the General now found Scou's
himself was an awkward one, and well calculated to in- <=""s"''Ja-
crease his desperation ; he still declined all participation lio.., uin.r

of the general combat, in which a part of his briirade was ^^'^^i^st
'^ * ^ charge.

engaged, and whilst lliph'y and Miller, in close combat

■with the enemy, were earning laurels, one of the heroes
of Bridgewater appears to have been hid under the
hill, and the other engaged in Quixotic projects which
constantly baffled his enterprise. But perceiving the a contrast
enemy again approaching the American line, under Rip- °^ '^.'*'^^''>'
ley. General Scott determined to make an excursion to
the left, more imbecile than the last, to retrieve, if possi-
ble, his disappointment on the right, lie therefore with
consiimmate tactical precision, again throws his remnant of
veterans INTO COLUMN AT HALF DISTANCE,
RIGHT IN FRONT, and made a charge, but for what General

object is not understood, because it would have been ^^ott's se-
cond
worse than madness, to attempt to turn the flank of a line char"-e

of 2000 or 3000 men, with a squad of an hundred and
fifty. Of this movement I collect the following informa-
tion from the narrative of Colonel Leavenworth : — "That
about the period of the commencement of General Rip-
ley's fourth rencontre, General Scott again ordered liim
to form the troops "IN COLUMN AT HALF DIS-
TANCE, RIGHT IN FRONT." This order being exe-
cuted, General Scott again led the column to the charge,
loilh a view to turn the enemifs right Jiank, but Jinding
that jlank supported by a heavy second line, the charge was
7cithdrawn."*

• These charges indicate animal courage, but no other property of
rational man. My horse is brave, and may be taught to charge; yet
he would make »n imperfect comnauder.

71 S MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. I regret that Colonel Leavenworth has not been more
^^" circumstantial in his account of this particular operation,
because it has reached me in a very dififerent shape,
through several officers who were concerned in that chef
iVocuvre, and even from the authority of General Brown
himself.

From these sources I derive the following statement,
«that General Scoit led his column down the lane /i, 1u
and at that critical period General Brown shewed him-
self on the hill in quest of the Brigadier, and, discover-
ing his tract, the commander entered the lane and passed
several sections in pursuit of him, when the column re-
ceived a volley in its flank from the enemy, who were
posted behind the fence,* and then this exhausted, worn
His troops out handful of brave men, broke and retreated in disor-
and'reth^e" *^^*' ' ^^f^^''"^ behind them Captain Pentland, who was
wounded, with Lieutenant Perry, who was made prisoner,
and the curses of their general, who perceiving that his
word of command, " BxiTTALION, LEFT WHEB]L
INTO LINE, QUICK MARCH," was no longer heeded
by his wearied and almost heart-broken ranks, exclaim-
ed, in a voice of thunder, " THEN YOU MAY ALL
GO JO iiELL."
General General Brown, active it seems, if not skilful, retired

Brown wUh tlie troops, and when leaping a fence near theposi-
wouiided. * i -^

tion Scott had charged from, received a flesh wound in

the thigh, as he afterwards stated to Captain McDonald

at Judge Barker's in the state of New York, adding,

emphatically at the same time, tliat he had " got his

WOUND THROUGH THE DAMXED llASHNESS AND FOXLT
OF SCOTT."

It appears that General llipley in this critical exigen-
cy, his ranks gradually weakened by death, wounds and
fatigue, was warmly engaged and pressed almost to extre-
mity by the enemy in tlieir fourth assault; and it is be-
lieved that General Scott, finding his heroic little band

• The Diagram shews it on the left, but in this there is a differ,
ence of opinion.

GENERAL AVILKINSON. 713

rut to pieces, in his worse than Quixotic expeditions, with f:if ai».
his nialedirtions as a reward for their devotion and suffer- ^^
ings, left them and retired to the rear of the line, when ^'^''^-'
suddcrilj^ recollecting t!ic 25tli regiment, which had been
Jong engaged, and had greatly distinguished itself under
the gjillant Jesup, he proceeded to join it, and, like his
chief, received a luckij random shot, which relieved him, Ceneral
not as he had done the devoted part of his brigade, from ^oa^ndcd
the fatigues of the night, and carried him to camp, whi-
tlier he was soon followed by General Brown.

Colonel Leavenworth states in his narrative that he
formed the remainder of General ScoWs brigade, or
more properly the remaining platoon of the consolidated
b;ittalion,* a small distatice from the left of General Por-
ter, and it seems in rear, say in w, as he is soon after
discovered ascending the hill, and in his route meets
General Scott and General Brown retiring to camp, and
is directed by the latter to « look to General Ripley for or-
ders, as the command of course devolved on him ;" after
which the Colonel led his command to the right of the
25th regiment, and took post in 0, which terminated the
wanderings of the first brigade on this memorable night |
after a loss of forty-two officers, forty-two sergeants,
and 4*6 rank and file, without rendering, from first to
last, the smallest service that I can discern.

* Colonel Leavenworth informs us, that after General Scott's se-
cond charge, " he passed through the American line, and joined Colonel
Jesup, ivith the 25th regi^nent, on the right of that line, and was there
"Mounded ;" but the late Major Pentland says the General was wound-
ed on the left. Colonel Leavenworth proceeds — " Moving forxuard to
gain the summit of the hill, I was hailed by General Scott, who informed
yne of his wounds, and ordered me to push forward and join the 25th, and
in case the enemy should again return to the contest, to seek an opportu-
nity to charge, and drive them from the f eld with the bayonet." I pre-
sume according to the example he had given. In another place.
Colonel Leavenworth informs us, that '• after consolidating his baftC'
lion with the 25th regitnent, the whole did not exceed 150 or 200 men, ex-
chisive of officers;" but as he says the brigade marched only 700
strong, and 530 had been put " hors de combat,'" this number is pro-
■bably overrated.

VOX. L 4 X

714 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. I court the strict attention of my readers, and particu-

XV

* * larly military men, to the following interesting facts»

Particular Every corps of General Brown's command was closely

conduct of and warmly engaged ; no reserve was left for his direc-

Brown, in tion ; the darkness of the nigljt prevented the exercise

theafFair of command at twenty paces: the movements of neither

of Lundy's j i 7

lane. army could be discerned ; and his troops were several

times pressed to an extremity, beyond which every thing
would have been lost. Thus critically circumstanced, it
does not appear that General Brown once met the enemy
in combat, or exposed himself to the fire of their infan-
try, except when surprised in pursuit of General Scott.
But although invisible to the troops whom lie should have
animated by his presence, and encouraged by exhorta,-
tion, he remained at no great distance under the hill,*

* Extract from a publication by General Ripley, published at the Office of
the Boston Patriot, 1815.

" The artillery was captured. That it should at once have been
removed to the rear is obvious ; this could have been effected in one
hour, merely by ordering up the spare horses that were with the re-
serve of artillery. It then would not have been subject to contingen-
cies. Instead of that, less than half our force was defending it in a
most desperate manner : that force by killed, wounded, and strag-
glers, continually lessened : the enemy was reinforced, and when he
retired from the contest, simply retreated under the hill, about 200
yards from our line. Our force had become so diminished, that the
last charge compelled the whole line to recoil, and it was with unex-
ampled difficulty that it was recalled. It had become reduced to not
more than six hundred exhausted men and almost without officers.
General Brown remained on the ground (not on the height but in the
rear) in command. His wound was a flesh wound in the thigh, which
did not dismount him. Under these circumstances General Ripley
first discovered our own artillery to be gone, and in full march to-
wards Chippawa, in consequence, as he afterwards learnt, of orders
from General Brown to Colonel Hindman. Next came a peremptory
order to collect the wounded and retire. General Kipley was satisfied
his troops could not withstand another charge. He attempted to re-
move the artillery by means of detachments. It was unavailing.

"When General Brown ordered Colonel Hindman "to get off the
artillery as well as he could," he might have ordered him to take his
pieces to the rear, and then return with his horses and harness and
remove the artillery of the enemy; but previously to General Ripley's
being ordered to retire, all our artillery had been marched for Chip-

GENERAL WILKINSON. 7i5

orit of danger, rclaining the commarul* to tlic exclusion chap.
of tlie intelligence and disci-etion of those who braved ^^'
tlie tug of war. Yet, notwithstanding, his modesty ab-
stractcil him from the severe combat in which liis troops
were two iiours engaged, I cannot discover thfit he took
a single step to remove his woimded, or to secure the
captured .artillery tliat constituttid the bone of contention,
for which the best bh»od of his country was streaming;
the cannon removed, the ground of conflict ceased, and
his gallant corps could have retired to their camp, with
the trophies they had taken. But how could the cause
of the country or of humanity interest the affections of a
man, nurtured in hostility to the government of that coun-
try, whose laws were found insufticicnt to restrain his
cuj)idity.

In another instance, not so criminal indeed, yet highly
culpable. General Brown betrayed great ignorance and
neglect of duty. After receiving a flesh wound which
did not prevent his keeping his seat on horseback, he
tells us in his dateless official letter that **it became his
wish to resign the commuud to General Scottf*'j surely not
because of the exemplaiy skill he had manifested in the
action, but <« learning that he was disabled by his wounds,"

pawa, and it was not till ten days after that General Hlpley ascertain-
ed by whose orders.

" It will be observed, that our force was almost demolished in de-
fending the captured artillery. In this consisted the radical error,
either wlicn the artillery was captured, we should have determined to
sleep upon the battle ground, in wliicli case all our stragglers, pickets,
and fatigue parties in camp, shoidd have been brought up, or the
artillery should at once have been removed to Chippawa, and thereby
have saved the severe loss sustained in defending it. Had it been re-
moved when General Ripley made the first request, our loss would
have been small, and the " trophies" would have been saved.

•' When the troops reached Cluppawa, it was computed that there
were one thousand men in camp, exclusive of the column which had
retired. Had one of tlic staff been sent, two hours before, to collect
this force, the necessity of retiring would in all probability have been
obviated."

• See Appendix, No. XI.
t See Appendix, No. XII

716 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, the commander actually left the field, without commimi-
^^' eating to the officer next in command, wlio not knowing
that the chief was either wounded or had retired, con-
tinued to liold himself responsible to a superior, and to
maintain his position ; yet on retiring from the field,
General Brown met Colonel Hindman, the commanding
officer of artillery, advancing with asupjdy of ammunition
for his guns on the hill, and, after he had abandoned the
command,* contrary to every principle and every rule
of service, not content to leave Ripley in the dark with
respect to his own movements, he, without the knowledge
of that officer, undertakes to give Colonel Hindman the
His ortlers following extraordinary and peremptory order : — " Col-
Hindman! ^^^* I/"''*^ artillery as well as you can, and retire immediate-
ly; we shall all march to camp;^* and adding, f'wc have
done as much as we could ; nearly all our officers are killed
or wounded ; I am myself wounded, and I think it best to
retire to camp ;"^ and the Colonel might have asked him,
wherefore has so much blood been spilt, and for what has
all this been f'done?^' The headlong hurry, and peremp-
tory tenor of this order are manifest, and the information
proceeds not only from an excellent officer, but a gentle-
man and a man of honour. This order took away all
discretion, not only with respect to the captured artillery,
but also to the unfortunate wounded. But what was the
immediate effect of this order? To withdraw from Gene-
ral Ripley his most powerful arm, whilst he was left with
an exhausted band of 600 men, witiiin three lumdred
Critical yards of, at least, quadruple force of the enemy. The
^'M?f'"" very critical situation of Ripley may be fairly inferred
American from the report of Colonel Uindman, to which the parti-
troops, cujar attention of tiie reader is requested, because it
proves unequivocally, that the enemy were in possession
of the ground a few minutes after our troops left it ; mak-
ing prisoners a party detached to bring off a twenty-four

* See Appendix, No. XIII.
•j- See Appendix, No. XIV

GENERAL WILKINSON. 7I7

pounder, and captuiin.? severiil w.agons and horses wliicli cum*
had been sent to bring away the wounded. ^^^

Justice, however, requires I should state, that General
Brown, alter leaving the field and giving the order to
Colonel Hindman, had proceeded some distance on his
way to his camp, before he recollected that he had left
General Ripley in a perilous sitiuition ; and then he sent
back his aid-dc-catnp Austin, who was met more than
half a mile from the position of tlie troops, witli the fol-
lowing order for General Ripley, viz : <* It was General General

Brown's

Brorvn^s orders he should march the troops from the Jield o/" order to
action to the mouth of Chippaivaf where the armxj was en- General
camped previous to the battle, xvithout delay, and if he was
attacked in making his retreat, he shoxdd defend himself^*
I forbear to remark on tlie ridiculous affectation of this
order, given at a mile's distance, by a man who had not
shewn himself in the fight ; it had, however, the merit of
arriving in season, to save the shattered relics of our corps,
who, although brave to desperation, could not without
their artillery have sustained another shock, and must
have yielded to superior physical force. But it is deeply
to be regretted, and should be engraved on the memory
of every true-hearted soldier, and every virtuous inde-
pendent citizen, that bij the incompetency of General Brown, Cause and
and the inconsiderate rashness and folly of General Scott, on the ^^ Iffur
25th of July, 1814, a body of gallant troops, greatly inferior of LundyV
in numbers to the enemy, were committed to a destructive '^"^'
action, under every circumstance of disadvantage ; that the
artillery <f the enemy, won by their valour, together with
their wounded comrades, ruerc, through the ignorance and
remissness of the commanding General, left on the field of
battle, and that the only trophy gained in this sanguinary
nocturnal rencontre, was a single piece of ordnance left on
the ground by thewimerican army, which cost the contending
corps seventefh hundred men.

Several interesting particulars subsequent to the affair
of the 25th, deserve to be recorded ; they are little un-
derstood, and the exposition is necessary to cancel the

718 MEMOIRS BY

impositions which have been practised on the public, urf-
(ler the sanction of President Madison and his war mi-
nisters; not to enhance the national renown, but, by the
artificial decoration of individual characters, to overawe
enquiry, veil folly, mask imposture, and conceal the
shame of Bladensburgh, for the promotion of an interest-
ed and ambitious policy.

The troops who had been engaejed at Lundy's lane reach-
ed their camp at Cbippawa after midnight, and in his let-
ter without date, written to the Secretary of War several
days after, General Brown expresses himself in the follow-
Extraordi- ing terms : << about one o'clock in the morning I sent for Gene-
nary order ^^^ jRwlen, and after giving Mm mtj reasons for the measure

of General ^ "^ \ , ,,.. ..7. -jit*

Brown to / was obout to adopt, ordered him to put the troops in the best
General possible condition ; to give to them the necessarij refresh-
wMile- ment; to take with him the pickets, camp guards, and every
^h ''^'"n^ °^^^^^ f^^^<^ripfion of forces ; to put himself on the f eld of battle
as the datj dawned, and there to meet and beat the enemy if
he again appeared ; to this order he made no objection, and
1 relied on the execution. It was not executed.''* The per-
fidy of this report is exposed by Captain M«Donald,=^
but if we admit the authenticity of it, it caps the climax
of folly and extravagance, and were an hundred other
proofs wanting, the General has recorded in never-fading
colours, the evidence of his own ignorance, and utter in-
competency to the exercise of sound military command ;
yet this gross absurdity, this unmanly malicious innuendo.
President was received by President Madison as satisfactory proof
Madison, ^f ^1,^ demerits of the officer, who fought the battle and
saved the army, which he fostered with that cold maligni-

* Extract of a letter from Captain McDonald, of the 19th Infantry, to
General Ripley, dated March 20th, 1815.
" General Brown, at Judge Barker's, some time between the 5th
and lOtli of August, asked me many questions Respecting- the battle
of Niagara. After relating to him the circumstance* which came un-
der my own view, the General expressed his pleasure at our recol-
lections having served so correctly, and that to General Ripley he -was
under strong- obligations, for to his gallantry and uniformly good conduct
he 7tf«s indebted for the safety of (he anw/.'"

GENEKAL WILKINSON. 719

ty, so illustrative of his cliaracter, in all cases that do nut cfiap.
afTcct his personal interests, or excite his irascibility ; un- ^^
til the developments menaced hy the inquiry commenced
at Troy, extorted a brevet w ith almost a year's retro-
spect, and the following attestation of his own perfidy,
from the pen of the pliant General Brown, the favoured
chief of the hero of Bladensbiirgh.

" Washington City, May, 1815.
« Sir,

« My report of the 7th of August created an im- Recanta-
pression in relation to General Ripley which I by no means ce'ne^ral
intended. I did not intend to implicate his courage, his ta- Brown.
lents, or his %eal.

" In that report I stated, that I had given him orders
to meet and beat the enemy on the morning of the 26th
July. This order was not given until after the command
of the army bad devolved entirely on General Ripley ;
and I am fully convinced tbat circumstances afterwards
occurred to satisfy the judgment of General Ripley, that
the order could not be executed.

" Justice to myself as well as to the army, requires
that I should make this statement.
« I am, i^c.

« JACOB BROWN.
« Hon. Alexander J. Dallas,''

It is of little import by whom this letter was dictated or Motives
tvntten; whether it was prescribed by Colonel Monroe, *^^^'^^°"-
recommended by Mr. Dallas, or spontaneously offered by
General Brown ; but it is a fact, that it was a sacrifice to
the secret management and venal policy of the cabinet;
a base compromise by whicli the government was dis-
honoured, and the njilitary peace establishment of the
country founded in corruption. Neither General Brown
nor General Scott will ever forget I was on the spot, and
I write from memoranda taken at the time from some
persons who were concerned. Loveof country commands
me to suppress details. The reader is entreated to peruse

7aO MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, this letter again, and compare it with the order of Gene-
^^' ral Brown, and if he cannot discern a single trait which
should recommend that officer to the chief command of
the national forces, he will readily discover those quali-
ties of the heart which form the most effectual passport, to
the favour of President Madison and some of his coun-
sellors.
Analysis But Ict US take a glance at this after-order, imlnbitably

of General ^[^^ rpgult of conjunct labour, as the letter from which it
Brown's J

extraordi- is abstracted was evidently designed, to varnish the con-
nary order, ^ij^j. (,f ^|,g chief and his coadjutor, without even a decent
regard to truth. After a warm, toilsome, and bloody ac-
tion of several hours, during which the American troops
were nearly exhausted by fatigue and thirst ', our tottering
ranks, which at no time during the combat, possessed
strength to improve the advantages gained by repulsing
tlie enemy, retired from the field of contest, leaving be-
hind them, through the failure of providence on the part
of the General, not only the captured guns of the enemy,
but their wounded, and one 5| inch howitzer of their
own field train. These gallant citizen soldiers, jTor a
plurality of them were volunteer militiat or recruits on
their first campaign, reached their camp about one
o'clock in the morning of the 26th, faint and weak,
and reduced by death, wounds, and disability, at
least one thousand combatants. At this hour the order
is issued for them to be " on the field of battle as the daij
dawned." Now as the day dawned there at that season of
the year, about fifty minutes after three o'clock, this ex-
perienced soldier and sage chief, selected and elected by
the virtuous enlightened President Madison, as the most
valuable bequest to his deluded constituents, allowed the
enfeebled troops barely one hour and fifty minutes to cook,
eat, clean, and refresh themselves, to draw ammuni-
tion, put their arms in order for action, and make a
march, which. General Brown informs us, required an
hour the evening before, when the troops were fresh.
This order was given with an imperfect knowledge of
his own strength, and entire ignorance of that of his an-

GENERAli WILKINSON. y2l

tagonist; the movement was directed against stronj^ riiAP.
ground, which had been left in possession of the enemy ;* ^^
the American corps was dismembered, and seventy-four
officers iiad Just been put ** hors de combat;'* and yet in this
cripph'd state did General Brown, witliout a rational ob-
ject, attempt to expose to the enemy the army confided
to his command ; having provided for his own retreat to a
place of safety, wliich would abscdvc him from future
consequences, he hugged himself in the anticipation of
the undeserved honours which awaited him, and seemed
indifferent to the fate of those who remained behind.
I'his order, in effect, doomed the remainder of the divi-
sion to the fate of their recently slaughtered brethren,
without a thought of the calamitous effects to the public
cause ; and yet, incredible as it may appear, I liave been
assured, from authority which I do notquestion, that the
commander w ho gave t!»is unwarrantable mandate, before
lie (Mnbarked for Buffaloe, consulted two general officers on
the practicability of effecting a retreat to Detroit, to so
desperate a situation did he consider his corps reduced.

Agreeably, however, to the order, General Ripley col- ConJactof

lected the force of the camp, and avlvanced on the enemy ^'Pl^>'»

' •' and Te-

as soon as the troops were organized and equipt for action, treat of

but with a caution and circumspection, which saved him *'^^^'^"'^'
from surprise or commitment ; he sent out reconnoitring
parties before he was within two miles of the theatre of
the preceding day's action, and finding the enemy strong-
ly posted in superior force,f he Judiciously retired ; and
then a scene ensued which has been carefully concealed
from the public. By the improvidence of General Brown,
the deficiency of transport provided for his baggage,
stores, and provisions, had not been remedied, and a great
portion of it was now found necessary to the accommo-
dation of his wounded and si( k ; the necessity of a retreat
could he no longer concealed or delayed, and the conse-
quences were, that a considerable quantity of provisioDS,

• See Appendix, No. XV.
t See Appendix, No. XVI.

VOL. I. 4 Y

f^% MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, stores, and camp equipage, with a number of tents, were

^^- thrown into the river, or burnt; I have this fact from an

officer left with the command which performed this duty.

General General Drummond's official report* exhibits a strong

^'"Tr contrast to t!iat of General Brown, and is equally defi-

mond s i ^

official cient in several matters of fact, notorious to the whole

letter ex- ^^lerican corps. Tlie attack of his left, which he ascribes
ammed. '

to a heavy force, was the operation of the 25th regiment

alone, under that discreet, intelligent, decisive officer,

Colonel Colonel Jesiipjf of whose precise movements I have not

Jesup, his jjgg,^ j^jjjg j^,j procure satisfactorv information ; it is how-
conduct ^
contrast- ever certain that he advanced upon the enemy's left with"

ed with jjQ^ more than 200 men, brought them to close action,

bCOtt S. , ^

forced them to give ground, and in the confusion incident
to a night attack and the shifting of the action, he cap->
tured General Rial, and almost as many prisoners as he
had bayonets. I have no authority to question General
Drumniond''s report, of his own order of battle or his
force, except from the information of Colonel Leaven-
worth and other officers; but the preceding details will
expose its fallacy, as it relates to the number of the Ame-
rican troops, the disposition of the attack, and conduct of
the action throughout; particularly, in respect to the
capture of his battery, which was carried in the dark by
surprise, and was afterwards maintained by valour, in
spite of his reiterated, obstinate, and gallant charges^,'
for more than two liours, until the troops of the United
States retired by command, in column by the left, deli-
berately and in good order. General Drummond was
attacked on his own ground, from which he was forced,

* See Appendix, No. XVII.

f Compare the efficient conduct of this officer with the mad career
of Scott; the first by his judicious operations destroying the enemy,
the other with threefold numbers destroyed by his own folly and
rashness —

" Discretion
And hardy valour, are the twins of honour;
And nurs'd together, make a conqueror :
Divided, but a talker."

OENERAL AVILKINSON. ,^23

and the Americans occupied and Iicld it, until he appear- CHAP
od to have uithdrawn IVom tlic contest; they llicn leisure- ^^•
]y fell back on their camp, and were not pursued ; he ''"^~^^^*^
thcrelbre had no rii^ht to claim a victory ; tlie howitzer *

which he mentions was not takcii, in action, or forced
from the American troops, but was left on the field, I
understand, in consequence of damage to the carriage,
the fatigue of the troops, and darkness of the night.
Yet it is due to candour to acknowledge, tliat the issue
of the action resulted in the fruits of a dear bought vic-
tory; and it follows that our pretensions to the triumph
were without foundation, but in the vanity and ostentation
of our chief and his coadjutor.

The returns ,§•, of tlse killed, wounded, and missing, on Returns of

both sides, will shew that the numerical loss of the enemy ^'^^^'^ ^"<i

wounded
exceeded ; yet it will appear from the same documents, compared.

which may, I have no doubt, be relied on, that the affair
was most destructive to the troops of the United States.
The enemy liad five officers killed, 37 w^ounded, and 15
missing; the American troops had eleven officers killed,
56 wounded, and 8 missing; the former had 84 of all
ranks killed, 559 wounded, and 235 missing; the latter
171 of all ranks killed, 552 wounded, and 112 missing.
And as an iri'cfragable proof of the weak and wanton ex-
position of Scott's brigade, it will be found on compari-
son, that he had six officers killed, 31 wounded, and five
missing, whilst the residue of the American army had but
five officers killed, 25 wounded, and three missing. Scott's
killed of all ranks were 108, his wounded 350, and his
missing 50;* whilst of the dragoons, artillery, 1st regi-
ment, 2d brigade, and volunteers, the amount of the kill-
ed of all ranks was 65, the wounded 221, and the missing
59. Thus the conduct of the several cori)s are placed
before the reader, and the result will enable him to form
a clear and candid estimate of the merits of the most
conspicuous actors, and to decide who is best entitled to
public distinction and national confidence; lie who being

* This is exclusive of artillery, 8;c.

724; ME.^IOmS BY

CHAP, invohmtiii'ily drawn into a disadvantageous conflict, cau-
^^ tiously and ju iiciously, but resoluiely maintains the in-
terest and honour of the American arms ', or he, who,
indifferent to both but as the step-stones of his ambition,
s.eeks unnecessary pei'ils solely to emblazon his profes^
sional character with the blood of his fellow-men ? It is
not a fiction, but under Mr. Madison's commendable ad-
ministration, has became a prevalent sentiment, that an
officer is warranted in sacrificing his corps for empty re-
nown ; a more erroneous, or a more dangerous opinion,
cannot be infused into the minds of the rising generation j
since nothing can be more obvious than the distinction
between the chief, who, like General Washington and
General Greene, fosters the lives of his troops, for the
exclusive safety of the state to which they belong ; or he,
who, like Brown and Scott, wickedly appropriates, or
blindly and rashly sacrifices, the blood and lives of the
soldiery entrusted to their command, to promote selfish
views or sinister ambition. The first is a Christian hero
and patriot, the last an Infidel and desperado. For myself,
iiow a mere passenger, yet devoted to the solid interests of
my country, I write to expose imposture, correct delu-
sion, and warn my fellow^ citizens against the tricks, ar-
tifices and frauds, which liave been practised to impose
on their understanding, and mialead the public judg-
ment; happy if I may succeed to render them service,
and content in the conscientious discharge of my duty,

" Oh ! that estates, degrees and offices,

Were not deriv'd corruptly ! and that clear honour

Were purchased by the merit of the wearer!

How many then would cover, who stand hare!

How many be commanded who command!

How much low " vaniOj" would then be glean'd

From the true seed of honour ! and how much honour

Pick'd from the chalF and ruin of the times,

To be new varnished ?"

I had closed this chapter when I received a letter from
tlie late Brevet-major Pentland, of which the following
is an extract i the conspicuous merits of this officer are

GENERAL WILKINSON. yg^

acknowledged, and his character as a man stamps au- eiiAP
thenticity on his report. He commanded the advanced ^^
guard of the first hrigade on the 25th of September, 1814, ^•^''*^^^-'
and by General Scott's inversion of his order of march,
was thrown into the rear, whilst the 22d regiment to
which he belonged was carried to the front ; the effect of
this improvement in military tactics, was to bring Captain
Pentland and his guard up the right of the line, formed
at the opening of the wood in a, a, that is, on the right
ilank of the 9th regiment, where he continued to act until
he had his leg broke, and was abandoned to the enemy,
in the General's last senseless charge at the lane.

Extract of a letter from tJhC late Brevet-major Pentland, to
General James Wilkinson, dated Pittsburgh, Dec. iGtli,
1816.

«« General Scott's third position was near a farm to the
left of the second position, where we halted a short time
without firing. Colonel Miller having previously carried
the heights and silenced the enemy's battery; we then
advanced to Lundy's lane, and were fi.rmed in column,
left in front, which threw my company into the rear, as
it was formed on the right of the 9th regiment. After
being in this situation a few minutes, and before we
moved. Captain Spencer, the aid-de-camp of General
Brown, rode up to me, and observed, that with my com-
pan^' 1 could intercept two of the enemy's ammunition
wagons, which liad lost their way, and was then within
our lines. I asked permission of General Scott, who re-
fused, saying there was something of more importance in
view; and orders were immediately given to advance, as
I thought, for the purpose of breaking the left flank of
the enemy's line. As soon as we were discovered, in
passing the church, the enemy opened a most destructive
fire upon us, which was immediately followed from a
different direction, and, as I conceived, nearly at right
angles, which produced a terrible carnage ; being, as I
v.as, in the rear of the column, I itad an opportunity of

726 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, seeing the killed and wounded. I cannot tell whctlier it
^^' was Porter^s volunteers or Ripley's brigade which fired
on us. It was absurd to suppose, that any men engaged
as long as we had been, without water, and nearly ex-
hausted, could stand such a fire ; the column was of
course broken and fled to a lane on the left, where we
were immediately after formed in column, right in front,
and advanced a second time. General Scott, Lieutenant
Perry, and myself, were at the head of the column ; we
had moved but a short distance, when another destruc-
tive fire was opened upon us ^ I was wounded just at the
fence ; Lieutenant Perry was made prisoner by my side ;
and General Scott was wounded in the shoulder.

« Our men were in general cool and collected, and
fought bravely, and I never saw men form with such
rapidity as they did, after being broken the first time.
It was with pain I saw brave men falling in these charges,
without having done much execution, and at last com-
])elled to retire from superior numbers. I have seen a
publication which does great honour to the 9th regiment.
I have a great respect for the officers who composed that
battalion, but think the 22d regiment deserves at least as
much credit. Colonel Leavenworth well knows, that
after I had joined the line with the remnant of my com-
pany, that I was during the whole of the engagement on
the right of the 9th. It is not my desire to tear the laurels
from the brows of particular persons or battalions, but
witnessing as I did, the bravery and good conduct of the
22d regiment, I cannot see the praises due to that batta-
lion lavished on the 9th, or any other corps, without en-
tering my protest; and as General Brown never deigned
to notice a regiment, which fought and bled to establish
him in the confidence of his country, I have taken the
liberty of digressing, well knowing your object is to do
justice to all, and being persuaded you will pardon me.'*

But for the fortunate receipt of this letter, it will be
perceived, that I should have rendered great injustice to
the 11th and 22d regiments, in consequence of my reli-

,in

GENERAL WILKINSON. 727

ancc OB such information as I Iiad been able to collect ; cffap.
but it is a fact, that in all my researches lor information, '^^•
touching the operations on the strait of Niagara, and the '"^^'^'^^^
invasion of the city of Washington in 1814, 1 have ex-
peiicnced either profound silence, or a trembling reluc-
tance to communicate, springing out of a fearful appre-
hension of giving offence to the dependents on the public
will, and the servants of the people. Gracious Father !
from what a proud height has my country fallen, and
how much has the power of the administration increased,
and the independence of the citizen declined.

This letter of Major Pentland furnishes a strong illus-
tration of the different views battalion and platoon officers
will form of the same operations on a field of battle ; but
in the main it corroborates the information I had pre-
viously received of General Scott's frantic, foolish, and
inhuman charges, in which he exposed the unfortunate
men he commanded to be cut to pieces, without rendering
the smallest service j and I am thankful that he has ena-
bled me to give publicity to his ideas of the second charge,
and the tinje and place General Scott received his wound,
though the Major differs expressly from Colonel Leaven-
worth on this point; and also from General Brown's ac-
count, to Captain McDonald, of the conduct of the troops,
which is supported by the circumstance of Captain Pent-
land being left on the field, to fall into the hands of the
enemy ; for if the troops had retired by order, he surely
would have been brought off; and as it was extremely
dark, and Captain Pentland himself being severely wound-
ed by the first fire of the enemy, he may also be mistaken
in the circumstance of General Scott's receiving his
wound at the time, because such an incident would hardly
have escaped the knowledge of Colonel Leavenwortl;,
who was second in command of the remnant of the conso-
lidated battalion; and the Colonel says General Scott passed
to the right, joined Major Jesup, and was wounded there ;
and it is a fair presumption General Scott would not have
abandoned his little command, if the men had not broke.

738 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. Whatever may be the fact, I have felt it my duty to
^v^ make this explanation, in justice to those concerned, and
for the information of the reader.

The representation of Captain Pentland determined
me to take a comparative view of the loss of the 9th, 11th,
and 22d battalions respectively ; and if their conduct and.
services at Lundy's lane, are to be estimated by the rule
of President Madison, for determininj^ tl>e merits and
qualifications of his Generals, viz. the quantum of blood
they ma}- have been instrumental in spillinir, then the
11th and 22d take the palm from *.he 9th, because it will
appear from the return, that both of the former bled more
rreely and dealt more liberally in death than the latter.

GENERAL WILKINSON.

72fl

CHAPTER XVI.

Preliminary Reflections. — Enemy enters the Chesapeake. — chap.
Their disgraceful conduct there. — Mtempts Craney Island ^^^
and Hampton. — Enormities committed. — Admiral IVar-
ren enters the Potowmack. — Alarm produced. — The idea
of a Lieutenant-general being appointed^ and the rivalry
it gave rise to. — Military motions of the Secretary of ffhr
and of the Secretary of State referred to. — Force and
Works to defend the Capital. — Reports of the Committee

on Military Affairs Caution against Military Impos-

f tire. —Fort Hashingf on on the Potowmack frst called
Warburton. — Fortifications unequal to resist Ships of the
line when within grape and canister range. — Opinions of
J\^aval Officers referred to. — Public sentiment and Presi-
dential conduct. — Enemy commence their depredations in
the Chesapeake. — Commodore Barney*s Flotilla engages
the enemy and retires to St. Leonard''s Creek. — Proposed

destruction of the Flotilla Prevented by the enterprise

of Colonel Wadsworth. — TfUkinson arrives at Washing-
ton in company with General Winder. — Conversation
which ensued between them. — Wilkinson expresses his
solicitude for the safety of the Capital. — Gives his opinions
on that subjectf and particularly to Mr. Carroll, and in-
'vites him and General Mason to examine the prac-
ticable defences of the city. — Certificate of Charles Car-
roll, Esq. and of the same Gentleman conjointly with
General Mason. — Reasons for making this communi-
cation to these gentlemen — Rifiections on the pending
Measures of Government. — Others rccommemled — Ad-
vice received from Messrs. Bayard and Gallatin of the

enemy^s intentions Plan for calling out troops and

Militia Corps of Volunteers offer their services, which

are rejected by the President. — Cabinet and Heads of De-
partments unknown to the Constitution. — Tenth Military
JDistrict created and General Winder appointed to com-
voL. L 4 Z

730 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. mand Finds the District destitute of munitions of

^^^' war and troops. — Militia requisition for 93,500 men,
— So worded as to defeat the remedy it pretended to
prescribe. — The embarrassments with which General
Winder was surrounded — Proposes a remedy^ but re-
ceives no answer to his applications. — President Madi-
son's conduct inconsistent with his information. — Bad
condition of the defences and want of ammunition — Dis-
traction which ensued the landing of the enemy — The
line of conduct President Madison ought to have pursued.
— Wilkinson proposes to Colonel Monroe to suspend his
arrest, and offers to save the City. — His plan of annoy-
ance and defence. — Wilkinsoii, not receiving an answer
to his note, leaves Washington — Inefficient equipment of
the Militia. — Perplexities of General Winder's situation,
. and the paucity of his means — Movement of the force
from the City and the enemy from Benedict. — Transac-
tions of the %'Zd of August. — Conduct General Winder
should have pursued. — Its probable effects on General
Ross. — Winder falls back on his main body, and Ross
proceeds to Upper Marlborough. — Barney'* s Flotilla blown

up. — Barney with his men joins the army Description

of the American camp on the night of the 22d. — Presi-
dent Madison reviews his army — Admiral Cockburn's
correspondence referred to. — General Ross moves five
miles out of Marlborough and encamps President Ma-
dison concentrates his force and determines on a general
action. — General Winder's plan of operations considered.
■—The President retires and the troops follow him. — The
disorderly retreat from the Old Fields accounted for. —
Ross's intention of attacking the American camp. — Dis-
position of the American troops on the night of the 9.3d. —
General Winder's design approved Other operations re-
commended, and their evident conseqtieiices. — The policy
of hanging on the enemy as he entered the Capital. — IVie
folly of expecting the enemy by the lower bridge, and the
facility of defending it demonstrated. — Letter of an officer
of intelligence quoted — Proof of President Madison's ac-
tual command. — General Boss marches from Bladens-

]

GENERAL WILKINSON. -<3I

burgh. — The President's ignorance of the enemy's ap- chat.
proach. — Mr. Secretary Monroe proposes to General ^^''•
Stanshury to fall on the enemy's rear — The latter pre- ^'^'^''"^*^
vented by his orders. — False alarms in the camp of Gene-
ral Stansbury. — Movement of General Stanshury's com-
mand Formation of the line Arrival of Fresident

Madison and his suitCf and approach of the enemy. Ca-
valry movements. — Jltlas JN^o. XVII. referred to Dis-
position of the American army considered. — The President

presents himself to the troops Description of General

Ross's force carried into action What ought to have

been the conduct of President Madison His conduct in

tlie field — Its effects on the Militia. — Good conduct of .
the Baltimore Volunteers. — Description of the attack of

the British. — Movement of Colonel Thornton Conduct of

Commodore Barney, Captain Miller f and their corps

Colonel Beale's statement quoted His conduct. — Mr. I.

E. Howard, and a glance at the affair of the Cowpens.
— Remarks on the order for retreat — Reference to the loss

of the Marine corps and the enemy The President flies

from the Capital The JYavy Yard, Sfc. set on fire

Wilkinson's advice remembered — Order for the retreat to

the heights of Georgetown.^-Enemy enter the Capital

The Conflagration Extracts from the Annual Register.

Reflections on the catastrophe The enemy retreats from

the city of Washington.

Trot, after a vigorous siege and gallant defence of Prelimlna-
ten years, was taken by stratagem. Carthage too, [7 ^^^^c-
was doomed to destruction, but her fall was preceded by
long, obstinate, and bloody wars of varied fortune. On
a recent occasion the enslaved Muscovite, after manly
exertion had failed, and almost every resource had been
exhausted, applied the torch to his ancient capital to save
his country ; but in this our enviable land of freedom,
we have since beheld the temple of liberty, our wives,
our children, and our household Gods, abandoned by
their legitimate protector to the devastation of a vindic-
tive enemy.

7aS MEMOIRS BY

CHAP The transactions which led to this shameful catas
^^'^ trophe, will form the subject of this chapter; and it is
to be deplored, that justice to an injured country, and
the character of its defamed citizens, should make it ne-
cessary to raise the veil of concealment ; that the world
may be enabled to distinguish clearly between the imbe-
cility and improvidence of the commander, and the zeal
and promptitude of the troops ; between the patriotism
and devotion of the citizen, prepared for every sacrifice
in defence of the metropolis, and tlie turpitude of Presi-
dent Madison, who, after neglecting every necessary
means for its protection, fled before the invading enemy,
and surrendered it without a struggle.

But before I enter into tlie details of General Rt.n-'s
operations, which terminated at the city of Washington,
in the destruction of the public edifices, the provisions,
stores, arms, naval equipments, and the vessels of war
in port, it is proper to call tlie attention of the reader to
antecedent incidents ; which will evince that the seat of
government was threatened by the enemy, a year before
the actual invasion, and yet during the long interval,
whilst millions were expended in fortifications at various
seaports, President Madison and his counsellors did not
take a single precautionary measure for the defence of
the national capital; notwithstanding the solicitude of its
patriotic inhabitants, manifested by repeated applications
to the Secretary of War, and to the President peisonally.
Enemy en- gy i-eference to the clironicles of that day, we shall per-
chesa. ceive that early in the spring of 1813, the enemy, under
peake. Admiral Cockburn, entered the Chesapeake, with a re-
spectable naval force, and the usual complement of ma-
rines ; and being apprised of the accumulation of a con-
siderable quantity of public property, at a landing near
the head of the bay called Frenchtovvn, he visited that
place on the 29lh of^^pril, and, by the defective arrange-
ment of the war department, succeeded in destroying the
military equipments and munitions of war found there ; of
which, I apprehend, the public never received any cor-
rect account. A species of piratical warfare ensued this

GENERAL WILKINSON. 733

exploit, dis.j^raccfVil to the service and dishonourable to chap.
the soldier, because directed against unarmed men, or ^^^
women and children, and havini? for its object the nillace .^T"^''^
and destruction of private property, and the annoyance grac.ful
of defenceless villages on the head waters of the Cliesa- i[["^e"''^
peake. These wanton depi-edations were continued for
ten days or a fortnight, during which time the city of
Baltimore was menaced, and kept in alarm by the dispo-
sition of the ships of war off the harbour ; but about the
first of June, Cockburn, unexpectedly, weighed anchor
and descended the hay to join Admiral Warren, who had
just arrived with a naval reinforcement, a detachment of
marines, and a corps designated <« Chasseurs Britta-
ni(jues," composed of foreign renegadoes under British
officers. Soon after this junction, on the 22d of June, Attacks
an attempt was made against Craney Island, by a force iskn/anc
exceeding 1200 men, who were repulsed with disgrace, 'i»">P^on
by a detachment of about 700 raw troops, sailors and ties com-
marines, without the loss of a man. It would appear, '"'"^^
that to avenge this discomfiture, the enemy, on tiie 25th,
attacked the village of Hampton, wliich, being witiiout
fortifications, and defended by a handful of militia only,
was carried without difficulty ; and the scenes whicii
ensued dishonour humanity, shame the Christian world,
and have left a stain on the charat ter of the British
arms, which will never be forgotten, and cannot be
effaced but by the extinction of the corps, and the blood
of the individuals concerned in the unmanly, barbarian
atrocities perpetrated on that occasion. After two or
three days pillage, rape, riot and murder at Hampton,
the enemy rc-embarktd, and, about the 12th or 14th of
July, Admiral Warren entered the Potowmack with a Admiia}
considerable armament, took possession of Blackstone*s ^^^"""^^

' enters tUe

Island, and pushed some of his light vessels up as high Chesa
as the difficult pass of the Kettle Bottoms, which they Ji^'^n^p"/.
were observed to sound ; and this being interpreted into a duted
meditated attack of the metropolis, strong excitements
were produced at Washington, at a time when Congress

734?

MEMOIRS BY

CHAP.
XVI.

The idea
of a Lieu-
tenant-ge-
neral be-
ing ap-
pointed,
and the
rivalry it
gave rise
to.

Military
moiions of
the Secre-
tary of
War and
of the
Secretary
of State
referred
ta

happened to be in session. The idea of a Lieutenant-
general had just been started, and the rival candidates for
the appointment entered into a competition for public
distinction, in whicli the advantages were greatly on the
side of the war minister, who had the President in subor-
dination, and of consequence possessed the exclusive au-
thority to dispose of tlie military force, and the implements
and engines of war were subject to his discretion also.
He accordingly repaired to a narrow pass of the river,
about fourteen miles below the city, defended by a wretch-
ed work called Fort Washington, and ordered the dimi-
nutive force assembled for the defence of the capital to the
vicinity of the same place. The Secretary of State, also
a soldier of the revolution, although his office did not give
him military command, determined not to be outdone in
demonstrations of zeal ; he therefore assembled a select
suite, and resolved to take the lead of his competitor, by
throwing himself immediately on the right flank of the
enemy ; and whilst his rival awaited the approach of
danger, within the walls of Fort Washington, he deter-
mined to seek it on the left bank of the Potowmack ;
and having drawn around him a party of yeomanry, I
have understood, a skirmish ensued, that blood was spilt,
and a meditated attack of Blackstone's Island, for the
purpose of capturing Admiral Warren, was marred by
the jealousy or invidious spirit of tlie war minister, who
refused to the Secretary of State a small detachment re-
quested for tlie purpose. During these scenes of mummery ^
when the pen was exchanged for the sword, and ministers
of the cabinet were seen to consign their bureaus, and the
business of the nation to their clerks ; and honest and well
intentioned members of the legislature, contemplated such
patriotic sacrifices with admiration and wonder; an incident
took place in congress which must not be omitted, be-
cause it will furnish a strong instance, of the blind sub-
serviency of that august body to the artifice of a minister,
and of their ignorance of the actual state of things under
their own eyes.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 735

It must be observed, that at the time to which I retVr, r
there was not within aurcouring distance (if Washinj^lun ^'
any organised militia of the states, nor regular forr*
except a few hundred raw recruits of the 3utlj and ^ k^ 10
38th regiments, the district militia partly unarm**d am. 'l'.^[^^'^^ "^''^
miserably formed, and the defence of the river defji'iul-
ing on the sloop of war Adams, with a few small gun-
boats, and Fort Washington, a mere water battery, of
twelve or fifteen guns, bearing upon tlie rhannel in the
ascent of the river, but useless the moment a vessel had
passed ; this work was seated at the foot of a steep accli-
vity, from the summit of whi( li the garristm could have
been driven out by musketry, but this height was pro-
tected by an octagonal Block house, built of bri( k, and
of two stories altitude, which being calculated against
musketry only, could have been knocked down by a
twelve pounder ; and in this exposed situation of the
national capital, July 15, 1813, with scarcely a shadow
of defence by land or water, upon a motion of Mr.
Stuart, a meritorious revolutionary veteran, to distri-
bute arms and embody the militia of the district, a re-
ference was made to the military committee, and 011 the
next day the following report was presented to the House
of Representatives.

"The Committee on Military Affairs, to whom was Report of
referred a resolution of yesterday, having relation to the ^'\^'^"'""

•' •' '^ mittec on

present movement of the enemy, report, military

« That they have examined into the state of preparation^ ^ '^"^*
naval and military, made to receive the enemy, and are
satisfied that the preparation is, in every respect, adequate
to the emergency, and that no measures are necessary on
the part of the house to make it more complete.^'*

• The interference of congress with Ihe duties of the executive,
are certainly usurpatory, except in great national emergencies, when
the public safety becomes the supreme law, or in case of manifest
corruption ; but then the inquiry should be radical In the case re-
ferred to, the chairman of the committee is a gentleman, whom I re-
verence for his head and his heart; but his own high and delicate
sense of patriotism and honour, subjected him to imposition.

736 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. When we advert to the short interval for inquiry, be-

' tween the reference and the report, it is manifest the ex-

aminaiion must have been confined to the capital, and it

necessarily follows that the Secretary of War must have

been the source of information ; the soundness of General

Stuart*s motion, and the fallacy of this report, have b^^en

A caution established by melancholy events ; and the incident should

nnniste- ^'^^^'^^ ^^'^ representatives of the people, not to pin their faith

rialimpos- to a minister's sleeve, or to place implicit confidence in his

information, when he is interested to deceive; which may

well happen, since offices have been convei'ted to the iise of

their incumbents.

If we may judge of the preparations to receive the
enemy at that period, from the condition in which the
metropolis was found a year afterwards, it is a fair con-
clusion that if Admiral Warren had pressed forward, the
national capital would have been sacked in the year 1813 ;
for I am of opinion, and nautical men will bear me out
in the position, that with a leading wind and tide, and
Fort a free channel, the battery of fifteen guns at Warburton

tm^ on'the ^^o"^^' ""^ have prevented the passage of a frigate ; and
Potow- all obstructions above being removed, the troops might
called "^^ ha\p followed in their launches and barges under cover
Warbur- of the niglit, close in with tlie western shore, and landed
above Greenleaf 's point the next morning ; or they might
have landed below Piscataway creek,* and, by a short
march, have taken the battery in reverse and carried it,
as we had no force in the field competent to oppose them.
Fort Washington was originally designed to protect Alex-
ancjj-ia and the city against the predatory enterprises of
light squadrons, and will be found of little use in repelling
an invasion, until it is covered by a strong compact work
on the crown of the hill, which is well adapted to such a
fortification, being difficult of access on three sides.

On the subject of water batteries t will offer another
sentiment, which may be found worthy examination, at
a time when millions of ex[»cnsc may be contemplated in
the erection of fortifications, on the Uorsc-shoe in the

* See Atlas.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 737

Chesapeake, and the Pea-patch in the Delaware. It is, chap.
that no lortification can resist "he attack oi' ships of the, ^^'
line, when tlieir respective batteries arc nearly on a le\cl, y,,^^^f^^..
and the distance witliin j^rape and canister range, because tiongune-
of the condensation of the iire and tiie cover of the com- '^\'^\tWtnt
biitants on sliip board ; and it is an equally sound maxim, of the ime
that when vessels of war cainiot approacii to poir»t blank within
distance, the advantage will be on the side of the land ^^^V^ ""'^

" canister

battery ; the following report may in some shape help to range,
illustrate my ideas.

Copy of the ojnnions of the commanders of H. M. ships in
the Chesapeake, relative to Old Point Comfort, dated
Richmond, Hampton Road, July 26th, 1781.

••' My Lord,

•< In consequence of a rcqjiisition tiiat your Lord-
ship received from the Commanders in Chief of His of*na\°al'

Majesty's troops and ships, relative to a post being esta- officers re-

f erred to
hlishcd at Old Point Comfort, for the protection and se-

rurily of the King's sliips that may occasionally be sent
l'» the Chesapeake, we whose names are hereunto sub-
stribcd have taken as accurate a survey of that place as
possible, and are unanimously of opinion from the width
of the channel and depth of water close to it, that any
superior enemy's force coming in may pass any work
tliat can be established there, with little damage, or de-
stray it, with the ships that niJiy be there under its pro-
tection.

" We have the honour to be, &;c.

(Signed) « CHARLES HUDSON,
« THOMAS SYMONDS,
« CHARLES EVERITT,
« RALPH DUNDAS.'
Lieut. Gen, the Earl Cornwallis.

But it appeared that Admiral Warren entered the Po-

towmack to water his ships, and take a survey (»f the pass

of the Kettle Bottoms, with views to ulterior operations ;

and having accomplished these objects, he sailed from

VOL. I. 6 A

738 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, the Chesapeake early in the autumn, and in the month
^^J^ of November, the marines, who were engaged in the at-
tack of Craney Island, arrived at Quebec.
Public It was understood generally before the enemy left the

andPresi- Chesapeake, from the conversation held by numbers of
dential their officers with the inhabitants, that Admiral Warren
would be relieved by an officer disposed to act with more
vigour, and that the Chesapeake, the ensuing season,
would again become the theatre of operations ; and it is
a matter of fact, that apprehensions were pretty gene-
rally entertained by men of consideration, that an attack
would be made on the seat of government or the city of
Baltimore ; yet. President Madison slumbered over the
menaced danger, whilst the Secretary of War made no
concealment of his opinions, and treated as chimerical
the idea that the enemy meditated the attack of the capi-
tal ; and the only measure of precautionary defence,
which has come to my knowledge, was the very feeble
one resorted to in the equipment of barges, for the com-
mand of Commodore Barney.
Theene- The enemy commenced their depredations on the lower
my com- waters of the Chesapeake, early in March, 1814<, at

mence r ' ^ » 7

their de- which time the blockading squadron consisted of five

predations yessels of war, which were from time to time reinforced
m the Una-

sapeake. with various rates, from armed brigs and sloops of

war to ships of the line. It appears that the armed

barges under Commodore Barney were sent down the

Chesapeake from Baltimore in May, under the delusive

idea, I presume, that they could check the predatory

enterprises of the enemy, for which they were either too

heavy or too light. This flotilla sailed out of the Patuxent

the 1st of June, fell in with several vessels of the enemy,

Commo- and returned the same day ; they were pursued, and

ney^s flo^ ^^^^^' ^^^ exchange of a few long shot for rockets, the

tilla enga. Commodore proceeded three or four miles up the Patuxent,

enemy, leaving a seventy-four and an armed schooner at anchor

andretlres off the mouth of that river. Commodore Barney kept his

nard's Station until the 6th or 7th of the month, when perceiving

creek. t[,g enemy was reinforced by several lighter vessels, he

GENERAL WILKINSON. 739

retired, and, instead of running up the river, took re- chap.
fuge in St. Leonard's Creek, wlierc he was blockaded ^^^
on the 8th. The depredations on the coasts of tlie
Patuxcnt, produced by this position of the enemy,
their proximity to the capital, and the defenceless state
of tlie country, caused great inquietude to every reflect-
ing citizen, and irreparable injuries to many individuals,
whilst the dosing executive was chiefly perplexed by the
difficulty of subsisting the crews; and, at length con- Proposed
eluding the situation of these boats to be a desperate one, tion^'onhe
he, without an attempt to relieve them, consigned the flotilla.
vhole to destruction ; and the gallant Barney, with an-
guish of heart, was about to execute the order, when
their destiny was suspended by an incident, which I shall
trespass on the reader.

Colonel Wadsworth, who had served in the corps of
engineers, and was now at the head of the ordnance de-
partment, proposed, with a battery of heavy guns in co-
operation with the flotilla, to drive the blockading frigates
from their moorings, and make an opening for Barney
to escape up the river ; the proposition was listened to
by the Secretary of War, and Wadsworth undertook the
conduct of the enterprise ; Barney's orders were coun-
termanded, the flotilla was again equipt, and Wadsworth
proceeded with two 18 pounders on travelling carriages,
protected by a detachment of marines and regular troops.
He established his battery behind an elevated ridge near Prerented
the mouth of the creek, and a simultaneous attack, of the |'erprfs/of
gun barges and battery, was made on the frigates the Colonel
morning of the Stith July, which succeeded to expecta- wmtlt
tion ; the enemy fell down the river to Point Patience,
and Barney proceeded up to Benedict. But this enter-
prise, projected by Wadsworth, who volunteered in the
public service beyond the limits of his regular duty, and
was exclusively entitled to tl»e credit of it, although com-
pletely successful in its (ibject, was contrived to throw a
cloud of obloquy over that officer, which the executive
beheld with cruel indifference, and encouraged by his si-
lence. Of what must tlie heart be formed, which animates

74# BIEMOIRS BY

CHAP, such a breast? The frigates driven from their stations,
^^^- were the Loire and Narcissus, Commodore Brown ; and
the following statement, fVotn an aalhentic source, will
explain the true motives of the enemy, for abandoning
the blockade of St. Leonard's Creek : " 1 was return-
ing," says my informant, «< from the Tangier Islands,
with a letter from Admiral Cockburn to Cai)tain Brown,
commanding the British squadron in the Patuxent, and
on the morning of the 26th met the Loire and Narcissus
near Point Patience; I boarded the former, and found
Captain Brown, at the time, standing on the tafftail, en-
gaged in attentively examining the banks of the river;
he shortly afterwards ordered the vessels to cast anchor,
observing as he descended to the deck, »< there is «a
ground here which my guns will not rake," and tlien
gave orders for burning Doctor SomerwelPs liousrs, to
prevent, as he said, our artillery from moving down and
renewing their attack under cover of them. In thecoui'sc
of an hour's conversation with him, he detailed the affair
which had just taken place at the mouth of the creek,
and explicitly declared, « that he had retired from his
position opposite the mouth of the creek, from the appre-
hension of continued annoyance and ultimate destruction
from the land battery, which occupied a position on an
height which his guns could not command, as his shot
either fell short or passed over, and he Iiad no force which
he could land to carry the battery."
Wilkinson J arrived at the city of Washington t!ie 26th or 27th
Washing- 0^ June, in company with General Winder ; the recur-
ton in conn- rence of the relentless disease, by which I had been afflict-

pany with , „ , . ■ ,. . , ■

General ^d for more than nme months, dismounted me on the
Winder, route from Baltimore, and I took passage in a passing
vehicle, wherein I found the General alone; i had ob-
served in the public prints various accounts of the preda-
tory incursions of the enemy on the Potowmark and the
Patuxent, and knowing that this species of warfare,
whilst it degraded tlie Britisli force, did not warrant the
expense of the equipment, because it could not advance
any solid interest of the war; I was satisfied that, besides

GENERAL WILKINSON. 71 1

tlie gratification of individual cupidity, tlie plundering chap.
parties of the enemy were made to cover the reconnaisaivcej "^ ^ •
of the most practicable approaches to the ( apital, and at
t!ic same time to cheat the President into a state of security.
The enemy had previously surveyed the difficult pass of the
Kettle Bottoms on the PotowmarU, and on the 12th July,
1814, Admiral Cockhurn exhibited to a public oflicer of
the United.States a complete chart of the Patuxent up to
Benedict, which he said had been «< taken by Captain
Nourse of the navy, with a view to ulterior objects ;"
and they had at that period been in possession of the
Chesapeake more than a year, and from the general
course of their conduct, nay ! from the undisguised me-
naces of Admiral Cockhurn, their object could not be
mistaken, though the accomplishment of it. could have
been easily prevented.

With these impressions, I expressed myself freely to conversa-
General Winder, and did not conceal my apprehensions ^'°" wjiich

'' ^'^ ensued, be-

tiiat the obstinacy and self-conceit of the Secretary of War* tween
might sacrifice the seat of government, and for preven- ^°^'^-
tion I recollect observing to him, that a camp of obser-
vation of 3000 or 4000 of the best troops which could be
assembled, no matter of what composition, provided they
were the best to be had, should be immediately established
on some healthy position in the neighbourhood of Upper
Marlborough, or between that place and the Potowmack,
under the direction of experienced active officers. That
association would beget acquaintance, and inspire mutual
confidence, and the drill would establish uniformity of
movement and habits, and that their numbers could rea-
dily be so magnified, as to discourage the enterprise of
the enemy." I know not what impression my conversation
made on General Winder, bull very well recollectthe tenor
of it. I understood from him that he had been appointed
Adjutant-general of the army, and was then proceeding
to Washington for orders ', and he consulted me rcspcct-

* I had long known that the poor President was a nose of wax ii\
his fingers, and that in military affairs he is a mere writer and talker,
not an actor.

713 31EM0IRS BY

CHAP, ine his riffht to lineal command, as an adjunct to his
XVI tj tp «•

■ staff functions, to which there could be no just exception ;
and I think I quoted to him the case of Major-general
Greene, Quarter-mastcr-general, of Major-general the
Baron Steuben, Inspector-general, and Colonel Otho H.
Williams, deputy Adjutant-general to the Southern array,
under General Greene, Mho fought liis own regiment,
and with inimitable gallantry crossed bayonets with the
enemy atEutaw.
Wilkinson I was confined to my bed and chamber several days
his^'^^r^"^ aft^r I reached Washington, but omitted no occasion to
tude for express to those who called on me, my solicitude for the
of\he ca^ Safety of the capital ; and I recollect suggesting to John
pital. Skinner, Esquire, deputy commissary of prisoners,
and purser to the flotilla, the same idea I offered to Ge-
neral Winder respecting a camp of observation near Up-
per Marlborough, with the expectation he might con-
vey the idea to the Secretary of the Navy. On leaving
my chamber, I discovered that the most lively apprehen-
sions for the safety of the city, prevailed throughout all
ranks and characters, excepting the President and his
cabinet; I was frequently asked my opinion, and was so
loud and unreserved in the expression of my conviction,
of the enemy's designs against the place, that I expect-
ed every day to be sent into exile, for I was already in
Gives his arrest. Among the number of inquirers, my respectable,
opinions respected, and dear friend, Charles Carroll, Esq. of
subject Bellevue, asked me, whether I believed the enemy would
r^to Mi^"^ make an attempt on the city, and on my answering in the
Carroll, affirmative, he requested my reasons, which I gave in
him'and^^ brief, « to sigiialise their arms, to depreciate our con-
Generai sequence in the eyes of their European allies, and to increase
exarni"ie° our own divisions and discontents; besides, I can discern
the pracii- ^o obstacle in the fvaij of the enterprise, and the neglect of
fences of the executive will operate as a temptation to produce it." I
the city, remember that I was dining witli Mr. Carroll on this oc-
casion, in company with Mr. Jones, then Secretary of
the Navy, whose opinions on the subject I did not under-
stand, and since I have mentioned this gentleman, to

GENERAL WILKINSON. 743

prevent misapprehension, I profess it is not ray intention chap
to include him in any censure I may apply to Mr. Madi- ^^'•
son or his administration ; because, alter an acquaintance
of twenty years, without any particular connexion, I
believe him to be a man of independent spirit, with a warm
and honourable heart. In tlie course of my conversation
with Mr. Carroll, who had a large property at hazard,
and took a strong interest in the welfare of his country,
I expressed my surprise that the President, who was so
highly responsible for the safety of the city, should take
no steps for its security, and observed, that if a force
could not be found to defend it in the field, it might in two
weeks, with due encouragement from the executive, be
put in a state of defence which would enable the citizens
of tlie district alone to repel a coiip de main, the only
mode of attack the enemy could, in my judgment, make;
my earnestness on the occasion induced me to add, that
if he and General John Mason would do me the honour
to accompany me on a short ride, I would point out to
them the facility with which this object might be accom-
plished ; a day was named, the gentlemen called on me,
and the following testimonial will substantiate the pre-
ceding statement, and explain what followed :

<« At the i-equest of General James Wilkinson, I feel Certificate
much pleasure in detailing the substance of a couversa- carrolU
tion I had with him about the first of July last. I asked Esquire.
him, whether the enemy, then hovering on our coast, did,
in his judgment, meditate a visit to this city; to which
he replied in the affirmative with great confidence, and
gave his reasons at large for tliis opinion, amongst which
he observed, that such an enterprise, were it successful,
would produce great effect in Europe, and that the ne-
glect of competent measures of defence tended to invite
the attack. The General, at the same time, expressed
total want of confidence in the then Secretary of War,
General Armstrong, with whom he held no intercourse;
remarked, that his situation forbade his communicating

744 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, with the President, but observed that by seasonable pre-
^^' cautions, the safety of the city might be secured against
a coup de main^ the only mode by which the enemy could
carry it, from their want of land transport. He added,
at tnc same time, ihat if General Mason and myself would
call on him at a time he named, he would expose lo us
Iiis ideas of the manner by which the public buildings
might be defended by the citizens of the district. I cannot
charge my memory with particular expressions, but this
I recollect well, that he evinced the strongest disposi-
tions to save the honour of our country by defending the
capital, and confidently stated the practicability of its
defence ; and that he would stake his reputation as a
military man, and his life on the issue.

" CHARLES CARROLL, ofBellcvve.
"May 12th, 1815."

And of the " According to the preceding invitation, the subscri-

samegen- ^^^^ called on General Wilkinson, on or about the 10th
tieman, '

conjointly of July last, and accompanied him in an examination of
General the ground around the central parts of the city, at which
Mason. time he proposed four points of defence, viz: two re-
doubts well supplied with artillery, one in the fork of
the Tiber and the Potowmack, and the other on the
height north of the Pennsylvania Avenue, called David-*
son's orchard; the fortification of the capital by ravelins
to connect the two blocks and round towers of stone at
the angles, with loop-holes to defend the exterior ends of
the blocks ; the windows to be barricaded with loop-
holes for musketry; and the lower floors of the capital,
as well as the ravelins, to be sufficiently furnished witii
artillery, and the preparation of the President's house
for the reception of musketry; competent garrisons for
these several posts to be detailed, and held in readiness
to occupy them, should it become necessary ; and suitable
munitions of war to be previously deposited in each.

<« General Wilkinson appeared to think that such pre-
cautions would prevent an attack, and if made, would

GENERAL WILKINSON. y^

certainly repel it. Ho mentioned, at the same time, the chap,
practicability of defending the navy yard against a »udderi ''^ '•
incursion, but the particular manner suggested, as to this ^^""'^^
point, is not now recollected.

" It is but justice to General Wilkinson to state, as we
well remember was the case, that on this occasion he
manifested extreme solicitude for the capital of his coun-
try, that he dwelt on the disgrace its capture would bring
on the nation, and that he deplored the peculiar hardship
of his own situation, which forbade his bearing arms in
it-s defence.

«J. MASON,

«CU: CARROLL, of Bellevue.
»•* Washington, 12th Jlpril, 1815."

Note. — « I have no recollection of any observations
made relative to the defence of the navy yard; this
might very well happen, as we were on horseback, and
could not always be togetiier.

« C. C. of B.'*

If these obvious, economical precautions had been
adopted, the rival ministers would not have been exposed
to the humiliation of advising General Winder, wlien he
reached the capital, " <o rally and form his troops on the
heights in the rear of Georgetown."

1 selected General Mason and Mr. Carroll for this Reason?

communication, not only from my knowledge of their ^"^'"^^'"^
'J J o this corn-

honour, their zeal and their patriotism, but because of munica-

their attachment to the administration and their intimacy th°egg*Ln.
with Mr. Madison, to whom, 1 expected, they might tlemen.
communicate my views, which were directed as well
to his reputation, as the interests and honour of my CQun«
try J whether this communication took place or not, I
have not understood ; but if it did, it was, like my ad-
vice for the defence of New Orleans, treated with phleg-
matic indifference; and whilst I am writing this para-
graph, instead of those provident measures, so explicitir

VOL. r. 5 B

746 MEMOIRS BY j

CHAP, indicated by the incidents of the late war, I behold the
^^*- tide of ambition sweeping before it the sound principles
Reflec- °^ ^''•^ revolution, and even the barriers of the constitu-
tions on tion itself; for in what other light can a candid, inde-
ing mea-' pe»dent, unambitious citizen, view the train of ministe-
suresof rial devices, imposed on the honest credulity of the re-
vernment. presentatives of the people, to increase the overbearing
influence of the executive, already swelled above the
mounds of the constitution, and felt in every hole and
corner of the republic. The honest man's heart revolts
against artifice and insincerity, in the management of
the affairs of this government; what then must be his
feelings, when lie perceives dispositions in the public
servants to expend millions on institutions founded in
deception, and not only unnecessary, but in their ten-
dency vicious ? Such I consider the propositions now
before the congress, which embrace the following objects.
An invalid corps, ostensibly to provide for, military
unfortunates, and to give it popularity, it is proposed to
include those of the revolutionary war, who had been for-
gotten for thirty-tour years, and happen to be provided
for in the grave. Stript of the veil, this proposition is a
simple device to increase the standing army, which at
present exceeds its constitutional limits 1,500. Then
three military academies I* For what purpose are they ?
To foster the universal and inordinate passionf for arms;

* In speaking of the profession of arms, the great, good, and sage
Sully, hlniself an eniinent soldier, says: "But unhappy, and even
all his life, is he, who being engaged in a profession so fatal to youth,
is deficient in strength or inclination to resist bad examples. Though
he should have the good fortune to preserve himself from all shame-
ful vice, how shall he instruct and fortify himself in the principles
that wisdom dictates alilie to the private man and the prince ; that
virtue be so effectually wrought into habit by practice, that no virtu-
ous action can be evav found painful; and that -lohen reduced to the
necessity of saving all by a crime, or of losing all by a good action,
the heart may be even a stranger to the interior struggles of duty and
inclination ?"

. f We find our youth, from New Hampshire to New Orleans, so
impatient for war, that they are seeking sei-vice from Mexico to

GENERAL WILKINSON.

7i>7

io infect the ilsing generation with the mania of indolonre cfiap.
and pt'ofligac)' ; to discountenance nseful learning and ^^'
steady habits j and to introduce a spirit of chivalry, de- "-^^^^
structive of tlie public liappiness, and subversive of the
principles of the government. But under the specious
plausible pretext of advancing the interests of science
and expanding the intellect, it is proposed to saddle the
people with a national university, on a site so insalu-
brious, that the great public functionaries find it neces-
sary annually to abandon their public duties three months
out of twelve. A national university at the city of Wash-
ington within the purlieus of the court ! and wherefore
this institution ? Is it to infuse the principles of public
virtue, and to stamp upon the youthful mind a permanent
devotion to republican simplicity, independence, and in-
tegrity ? No ! But to propagate the doctrines of passive
obedience and slavish dependence, to assimilate principle
to practice, to diffuse intrigue and corruption to the re-
motest extremes of the union, and to give the finishing
stroke to the aristocratic propensities, but too manifest in
the executive department. These institutions all tend to
the consolidation of the general government, and to the
extinction of the real independence of the state govern-
ments. If sound and salutary, how happened it, that
they should have escaped the attention of Washington,
of Adams, and of Jefferson, the distinguished friend and
patron of science ?

When I contemplate these things, and advert to the
source from whence they spring, I cannot suppress my
appreliensions ; when I behold the inventions and devices
contrived to divest the chief magistrate of this republic
of responsibility, and to invest his satellites with the
mantle of infallibility, I confess I am alarmed lest re-
spect for public station should stifle truth, and the fear
of indecorum should outgrow liberty. The natural prin-

Peru; whilst others, forgetting the interests, the honour, and the
tranquillity of their country, are roaming the seas in quest of unlaw-
ful booty.

748 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, ciple of decay inherent in man and all his works, should
^^ warn the citizens of these states to watch over their con-
stitution with unceasing vigilunce, and regardless of per>
sons or consequences, to repel the slightest encroach-
ments on the palladium of freedom, for «»the power of
the executive will be increased exactly in prop«)rli«)n as
that of the people is diminished ;" and when casuistry
is emjdoyed to explain constitutional points, by those who
not long sin(« found no difficulty in the interpretation, it
is a bad omen of political stability.

The analogy in the general structure of the British
government and the constitution of the United States, and
the manners, habits, language, and religion of the peo-
ple of the two cfuintries, ought surely to save the child
from the errors of the parent 5 yet with tho vicious ex-
ample of that government before our eyes, arid the re-
probation of her exactions and oppressions eternally on
our tongues, we ti*ead in her footsteps and pursue her
policy. But whilst we are promoting a monied aristo-
cracy, by which England has been overwhelmed in do-
mestic calamities, and by perniciaus institutions and a
lavish misapplication of the public treasure, are extend-
ing the executive influence, the people of that country
would retrace the ground over which we are hurrying
headlong to destruction ; as may be seen by the proceed-
ings of their public assemblies and their recent publica-
tions, from one of which I will trespass on the reader
the following extract, the application of which seems in
point, particularly as respects our own enormous^ use-
less, and expensive general staff: —

"A reformed parliament," says this writer, "would
see no necessity of a commander in chief's office with an
ionnous expensive staff; they would see as little neces-
ty for supporting, at an enormous expense, academies
'here the sons of borough voters and other proteges are
;ducated (in some cases under foreign masters) in the art
jf war, and who arc thus, from their earliest youths se-
parated and kept as a distinct cast from the rest of the na-
tUn. A reformed parliament, adopting the maxim of

GENERAL WILKINSON. 749

Blackstone, that all such establishments are abhorrent to chap.
the principles ol' the English constitution, would suiJiioi-t ^^ '
no such thing ; but would look upon the nation as most '^^'^''^^^
secure when under the protection of the arms ol" Iree-
men."

What a biting reproach is here offered to the councils
of the United States, and more especially their President
Madison ; may it prove a salutary warning to my coun-
try ; may it rouse the original energies of the people, and
recal the departing spirit of the constitution ; for if such
doctrines apply to the local and political circumstances of
Great Britain, how much more applicable are they to
those of this country ; the former within arm's length of
a great, powerful, and rival nation, called her natural
enemy, the latter three thousand miles removed from
every rival power ; but because the neighbouring despots
of Europe, whose estates join, and are ever engaged in
controversies, find it political in time of peace to prepare
for war, by building up to-day what was knocked down
yesterday, or in this year to supply the place of mercena-
ries whose throats have been cut tiie last, we, blindly and
falsely, apply the same reasoning to our own situation,
and follow their example. It was said, and believed,
when the independence of these states was declared, tliat
« a standing army in time of peace was utterhj incompati-
ble with the liberty of the subject f^' and I am certain we
can discover nothing in the circumstances of France, after
all her struggles for liberty, at this moment, or for twenty-
five yc'Ava past, to impair the force or justice of the obser-
vation— a military corps does not deserve the name, until
the men cease to reason and are blindly obedient. Would
the citizens of the United States deposit their liberties in
the hands of those who, with equal indifference, contemn
life or brave death ; who, not being parties in framing the
laws, are most ready to subvert them j who may defend
society or destroy it, as interest and ambition may incline?
No ! although a soldier from early youth, and holding
every honourable military man as a brother, I contend it
were better the United Sta$Ga should run the hazard of

730 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, suffering a year or two, in the commencement of every
XVI . J

^^^,..^^,' war, if wars they must have, until they can give form, con-
sistency, and experience to their levies, than that they
should permit institutions, which ever have been, and
will ever continue to be dangerous to civil liberty.

others re- While I deplore the tendency of these measures, I can-
commend- , .
ed. not but think that some portion of tlie treasure proposed

to be thus employed, would be more wisely appropriated
to the erection of permanent defences, for the future se-
curity of the national archives, for the protection of the
emporium* of the west, and to establish highways and
canals, the only ligaments by whi<:h tlie integrity of the
union can be perpetuated. Those legislators who are
brought to believe, that by extending the patronage and
prerogatives of the executive, they add strength to the
government, are sadly deceived, for this is a government
of will, not of power ; of virtue, and not of force ; an
attempt to coerce the union will snap the cord which
braces it; and then the people of these states, who are
now and ought to continue the most happy on earth, may
find cause to curse the day which dissevered the British
empire. Long, oh ! very long may it be, before this
calamitous day shall arrive ; and in the mean time, I
I most fervently thank the God of my salvation, that I

should not in the ordinary course of things be destined to
witness it.
Advice re- Craving pardon for this digression, I will resume my
from subject. It appears from the best information I have been

Messrs. jjjg ^^ obtain, that towards the end of June, 1814, Pre-

Bayard

and Gaiia- sident Madison had conceived the idea that the enemy
tin of the j^jgij^ make the capital an object of attack, and that ad-
inteniions. vice received from Messrs. Bayard and Gallatin the 26th

of that month, confirmed his suspicions ; in consequence
Plan for of which, he, on the 1st of July, submitted to his cabi-
troo"*^^"d "^^ ^ ^^^^ ^^''^ immediately calling 2000 or 3000 men into
militia. the field, and holding ten or twelve thousand militia and

volunteers, of the neighbouring states, in readiness to re-

Ncvf Orleans.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 75I

inforce that corps. It seems also that he suggested the f;riAP.
plan of taking a position, somewhere between the Eastern ^^'
Branch and the Patuxent, and that this proposition was
not objected to. These facts are drawn from the report
of the committee of congress, " appointed to inquire into
tlhe causes and particulars of the invasion of tlie city of
Washington ;^* but there are abundant existing evidences,
of applications made to the executive by individuals and
by corporate bodies, as well posterior as anterior to this
convention of the cabinet, on the subject of the defence of
the city, to which no sutisfactory answer couhl be obtain-
ed. I understand, that to the earnest inquiries of two
gentlemen, of the first intelligence, respectability and
fortune, iu the district, after listening to the expression
of their apprehensions, the Secretary of War laconically
replied, ^^^ I don'' t believe there is any danger ;^^ and I am
informed from an authentic source, tliat, during the pre-
ceding season, a thousand citizens of Georgetown and Corps ol
the city determined to form a legion of volunteers, and ofTeTthe^ir
petitioned the President to organise them, who authorised services,
the choice of officers; but when the names were sent in, ]fejected^
he refused to commission them, for what reason remains by the
a secret ; and thus President Madison prevented the
establishment of a corps, which had actually been en-
rolled, officered, equipt, and, excepting the rifle com-
panies, completely armed ', and from my knowledge of
characters, I may safely hazard the opinion, would have
formed a nucleus, around which a competent force could
have been promptly arrayed, to have made General
Ross's advance a scene of blood, and compelled him to
retrace his steps before he had reached Nottingham.
Thus, it seems, that President Madison, under the
guidance of his evil genius, would neither act liimself
nor suffer others to act.

The constitution knows no such institution as a cabinet. Cabinet
no such officer. as the head of a department. These are o?depan'
executive creations authorised by law for liis convenience ; '^'<^"'=' ""'
he may call them ministers, counsellors, or clerks, and ttie consii-

75a MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, may have them or not at his discretion ; in the wide
^^'' range of official dependents, the necessary appendages of
tution every government^ none are so prone to usurp power as
mere crea- those in conspiruous stations, who are conscious they
the Presi- possess none that is absolute and guaranteed by law ;
dent's such is the true standing of the gentlemen who compose
what is called the cabinet council of the President, and
therefore they cannot he too cautiously regarded ; lest,
from the humble amanuensis of the executive, the mere
organs of his will, and dependents on his pleasure, by
making themselves first convenient, and then necessary
to the legislature, they should by insensible but incessant
encroachments, get possession of the reins of the govern-
ment, and under the sanction of their master, dictate to
the correlative branches. But whatever may be the re-
lation. President Madison has found it convenient to
establish, between himself and his ministers; whatever
the unconstitutional power* he has ventured to vest in
them, he cannot change their respective official relations,
because he is himself solely responsible to the people,
and his ministers, the creatures of his will, are responsi-
ble to him only. With these convictions on my judgment,
which have been uniform from the origin of the govern-
ment, however the flatterers of the palace or the advo-
cates of undefined ministerial prerogatives, may concede
to the assumptions of those presidential counsellors, I
shall never consent to ascribe to the executive magis-
trate of these states, that attribute of royalty which
would exempt him from error, and exonerate him from
President the malversation and neglect of his dependents ; and
responsi- therefore when speaking of the scenes which passed im-
acts of the mediately under the eye of President Madison, I shall

govern-
ment, not * Never before his miserable administration, did a Secretary of
his mmis« ^y^^j. ^^^^ ^q disgrace the profession of arms, by arrogating to him-
self and exercising the functions of military command. 1 remember
when a little gentleman occupied that station, he ventured to pro-
pose to an officer "the inspection of his garrisons •" who replied to
him, "it -would be indispensable to this end, that he should be clothed
■with the commission of a Major-general."

ters.

GENERAL WILKINSON.

75S

consider Secretary Armstrong a mere instrument, and cifap.
shall hold the President responsible for his conduct in ^^'
office ; I believe this to be the legitimate construction, '"^""""^^
and am satisfied it is the safe and sound interpretation ;
for [ recollect well when I resumed the sword in 1791, at
the time General Wayhington administered the govern-
ifient which Mr. Madison has abused^ General Knox,
then Secretary of War, on opening his correspondence
with me, premised, that what he might write in his official
capacity, must be considered as from the President of
the United States ; and he scarcely ever omitted in his
correspondence, to quote the authority of the chief ma-
gistrate, as is uniformly observed by the ministers of
Great Kritain to tliis day, although they stand person-
ally responsible to their country, for the due administra-
tion of their respective official trusts. Indeed our own
ministers sometimes employ the Presidential authority,
as will be seen in the order which sanctioned the murder
of Helms; but in general, and almost universally, our
official lordlings, and more especially the Secretaries of
War, employ the first person in an imperative tone, offen-
sive to the feelings of a gentleman^ and betraying, at the
same time,^heir ignorance of the essential attributes of that
character.

It appears, that the day after the cabinet council^ the lOih mili-
?A of July, the President judged it expedient to create a tpiTtcre-
10th military district, although his Secretary of War had *ted,
just before discovered, and had apprised General Izard,
that " territorial limits of command are found inconve-
nient ;^^ yet, notwithstanding the inconvenience, it was
now deemed a salutary precaution to put up a barrier
not to save the capital, but eventually to screen the Pre-
sident and his coadjutor; a district was accordingly
created to compreiiend the whole state of Maiyland. the
district of Columbia, and that part of Virginia north of
the Rappahannoc river, embracing an exposed coast of
SOO or 1000 miles, vulnerable at every point, and inter-
sected by many large rivers, and by Chesapeake bay.
For an individual to have done justice to such an cxton-
VOL. I. 5 C

754 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, sive command, or to have administered it with efifect in
^^^^..^^^ the face of an enemy, would have required more than
mortal powers.* No matter! a district was a district,
and there were no judges to decide on, or to question its
aptitude to the command of an individual. No. 10 was
rrfwfn-^" accordingly created, and Brigadier-general Winder, a
derap. native of Maryland, whose respectable relation, a merr-
ffeco"!-^" torious officer of the revolution, administered the govern-
mand. ment of the state, was selected by the President for the
command the same day, though it seems it was not
until the 6th he received official advice of the appoint-
ment, which, as he stood at the head of the general staff,
he could have consistently declined ; and if he had pos-
sessed more experience he would have done so, because
there was not a shadow of defensive preparation, and
the attack of the enemy might he daily expected ; but
professional ambition, zeal for the service, and a thirst
for fame, will always prevail over sober reflection j in-
deed it is rare to find a soldier of pride and spirit, such
as General Winder is allowed to be, who weighs and
balances causes and efTects in the scales of discretion ;
such phlegm does not comport with the enterprise of
the youthful chief; deliberation is the province of the
veteran, who content to do his duty, seeks not adven-
tures ,• and yet I speak from sad conviction, when I say,
the most experienced may sometimes be beguiled by fair
prospects and ministerial promises.
Finds the General Winder accepted the command icitlmit means

district 1 -.1 . .-

destitute ««" Without time to create them; he found the district

of muni-
tions of • It Is true, that after the retreat of General Armstrong, President
troops. Madison, with the counsel of his successor, to improve on past folly,
annexed the command of district No. 4 to that of No. 10; but this
was merely to swell the self-importance of General Scott, who, I am
informed, was intended for Secretary of War ; and himself avowed
to a young lady, tuhose fortune he -was seeking, that he should be the
commander in chief, and could make those people at Washington do
what he pleased ; therefore her head quarters should t.e at New York,
or Philadelphia, or both at her discretion ; indeed if she had pecu-
liar attachments to Baltimore, her quarters should be established
there.

I

GENERAL AVILKINSON. yr^^

tvilhout magazines of provisions orforagCy ivit/iout trans- chap.
port tools or implements, -without a commissariat or efficient ^^^
quarter-master's department, 7vilhout a general sUiJJ', ami ^"^'^'""^
Jinally ivitkout troops. It is true, that the President, on
the 4th of July, *f pro forma,"' and in commemoration of
tite day, did make a requisition to the several states for ^''I'tla re-
93,500 militia that had heen authorised hy law, in which fwg'i'soo
he designated their res]>ective quota, and requested the "'^"
executive magistrates of each state to detach and hold
them in readiness for immediate service. Of tliis requisi-
tion, 2000 eflTcctives from the state of Virginia ; 5000
from Pennsylvania ,• 6000 from Maryland ; and 2000
from the district of Columbia ,• making in the aggregate
15,000* men on paper, wiiich were « to be organised and
equipped, and held in readiness for future service, within
their respective states, iintil the 10th district should be ac-
tually invaded, or menaced with invasion, when Genei'al
Winder was authorised, and of course not before, <« to call
for a part or for the whole of the quota assig7ied to the state
of Maryland, which shall have been organised and equipped
under the (foresaid requisition :'" and he is warned very
gravely to be careful to avoid all unnecessary calls ; **to
proportion the call to the exigency.'' In this place then, Requisi-
it is necessary to remark, that the requisition Mas a mere ^vorded as
matter of form, and incapable of producing the end it to defeat

til 6 r£TT16*

affected to embrace ; in each state the militia was first to ^ ■^^ -^g.
be organized and equipt in the manner prescribed by the re- tended to
quisition, and yet in those states there existed no power so
to organize and equip in such form, and until such special

* It is painful to reflect on the proceedings of a committee of con-
gress appointed to inquire and report on matters of fact, to the popu-
lar branch of the government; because, independent of the obliga-
tions of an oath, local, national, and personal character, are all in-
terested in the candour and intCLMity of their proceedings. When the
legislators of a free people siifler themselves to be employed as the
instruments of faction, to gloss folly, to conceal disgrace, or perse-
cute innocence, they dishonour themselves and disgrace their coun-
try ; yet the committee appointed to inquire into " the causes, &c.
of the invasion of the city of IVashin^ton," have declared that the
15,000 men •• ivereput at the disposition of the commanding General."

756 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, organixaiioii and equipment had taken place, i/te call was not
to be made ; but when tlie exigency arises, the General is to
proportion liis call to the occasion ; and instead of being
authorised to have at all times a proportion of at least
two-thirds of the given nmnber of militia, trained to mi-
litary duties in a camp of observation and exercise, to
await the expected exigency, around which the remainder
might rally ; he is, when danger stares him in the face,
to the utter neglect of the many important duties press-
ing on him, obliged to devote his time to the coUecti<m
and formation of a body of raw yeomanry 9 and is
himself trammelled with restrictions, and left with
scarcely more discretion than tlie corporal of a picket
guard.

But in making this requisition. President Madison
appears to have been alarmed, iesl he should have done
too much, and in recommending depots of arms and
equipments, he seems to liave forgotten that subsistence
was an indispensable article of the munitions of vvar^
that transport was necessary to convey his baggage; and
that entrenching tools and axes might be useful, in break-
ing up and obstructing roads, or to fortify his camps;
and to put it out of General Winder's power to burthen
the public with the expense of a competent force for the
defence of the capital, he informs him, through his Se-
cretary of War, on the 17th July, two days after he liad
received ■ advice of the arrival of Admiral Cochrane's
van at Lynnliaven bay with a lieavy reinforcement,
that « the mililia of the district of Columbia, amounting to
about 2000, is kept in a disposable state, and subject to your
orders ; / have also to express the tvisfies of the President,
that not less than two, nor more than three thousand of the
new drafts, under the requisition of the Mh July, be or-
ganised, embodied, and encamped at some middle point be-
txveen Baltimore and this city." How inconsistent was
this conduct of President Madison. Tlje enemy liad been
reconnoitring the Potowmack and the Patuxent since the
beginning of May; no doubt remained of their designs
against the capital, which were admitted by himself, and

GENERAL WILKINSON. -.5^

under the impression, he calls on tlie rcsi»cctrvc states (aiw
for the iin mediate organization and equipment of tlieir ^^'
rospcctive quota of 93,500 militia, 15,000 of whom he ^"^""'"'^^
designates for the defence of the metropolis, but directs
them to be held in *( readiness for future service,"^ This The cm-
was doing with one hand and undoing with the other ; it mYIf^*' u
was blowing hot and cold in the same breath ; it follow- which
cd that General Winder must, necessarily, have been winder
perplexed and embarrassed, by the restrictions which ^"^ s"""-
fettered him ; and the manifold contingencies on which
his operations were made to depend, would have render-
ed abortive the most judicious plans. He duly appreciated
the enemy, had formed a clear and correct judgment of
the advantages which favoured their attack, and as clear-
ly anticipated the disadvantages under which we should
labour, if the militia force which formed his cliiet de-
pendence, was not seasonably organized and arrayed ;
he foresaw the evil, and with great perspicuity pro- Proposes
posed the remedy ;f but his letter was treated with tuTrc^.^^'
silent contempt ; yet he was harassed by orders, admoni- ceives no
tions, ministerial interference, and Presidential reviews, '/,"s^appi'?
which seem to have staggered his self-confidence, and cation.
impaired his reliance on his own judgment and resource j
which will ever be the case in military operations, whilst
every movement of the General is superintended and liable
to be controuled by superior authority.:!: It would there-
fore be as unjust to hold General Winder responsible for
the military operations which preceded the affair of Bla-
densburgh, as to condemn him for the unfortunate issue
of that affair, and the disgraceful sacrifice of the national
capital, which belongs exclusively to President Madison,
and will never be forgotten while Washington continues
to be the seat of government of the United States.

• See the letter of the Secretary of War to General Winder,
July 12.
f See Appendix, No. XVIII.
t President Madigon meant to improve on the Aulic council.

758 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. From the conduct of the President, it was not suspect-
^^^^ ed lie had the remotest idea of the attack of the enemy
President "P"n the capital, much less that he had received an inti-
Madison's mation of such design from our commissioners in Europe^
inconsist- Messrs. Bayard atid Gallatin. It was believed that his,

entwith ii,(]g-ment was regulated by the opinion of General Arm-
his infor- J o • ° ,,, ,

mation. strong, who, it was well known, treated every sugges-
tion of danger with ridicule,* until the enemy were dis-
covered in full march from Upper Marlborough. Tlie
discovery proves that the President sinned with his eyes
open, and neglected to employ the ample means in his
power, to avert tlie calamity which he expected; this
aggravates his offence against his country, and gives
Lim an indefeasible claim to the reprobation of posterity.
The unfortunate apprehensions which prevailed, help-
cd no doubt to distract our inadequate means j for while
some believed that Baltimore or Annapolis, as points of
attack, would be preferred to the scat of empire, others
were of opinion that the enemy would land at South
River and march across the country to Washington, with-
out reflecting that by this route tliey would put them-
selves in air, and expose their right flank and rear to
the population of the city of Baltimore, and the popu-
lous counties of Montgomery, Frederic, and Baltimore,
leaving their water transport far behind them,* whereas,
by ascending the Patuxent, tlieir right flank would be
covered, and their left exposed to a puny population,
Avhilst they could avail themselves of their water craft, in
advancing and retreating, to a point within twenty miles
of the object of attack.

But such had been the remissness of tlie executive for
the past year, notwithstanding the warning of Admiral
Warren, wliich had been so frequently repeated by Ad-

* when Colonel Minor applied the evening' of the 23d of Auguet,
for arms for 600 Virginia volunteers, the Secretary observed it would
be lime enough in the morning; but being pressed for the delivery
by the Mayor, who introduced the Colonel, he with an horrible smile
replied, " Doctor, you are more frightened than hurt."

GENERAL WILKINSON. -J9

iniral Cockburn, that Fort Wasliington, the only water CIIAP.
defence of the district of Columbia, as late as the 25lh ^^'•
of July 1814, exactly thirty days before the capital was ^"^""^^^^
burnt, was in a bad condition for ofTcncc or defence in i^ad con-
many respects, but particularly for the want of amrnuni- ti'/cj"-
tion, there not being on that day « a single pound for fcnccs.ani
five excellent long \8-poundcrs movnted on the water bat- ammuni-
lery.*** Apathy, indiflference, and a blind confidence, ^'""•
marked President Madison's conduct, until the enemy
was at the threshold ; yet from the singular naturef of
tlic country, the capital might have been saved by the
instrumentality of axes and spades, supported by two
hundred mounted riflemen, an hundred dragoons, and
four pieces of horse artillery only ; but such was the
distraction, the irresolution, and imbecility which en- Distrac-
sued tiie landing of the enemy, and such had been the cns"u^dlf.e
)inpardonabIe improvidence before, that not a single landing of
bridge was broken, not a causeway destroyed, not an j^'^^"*^'
inundation attempted, not a tree fallen, not a rood of the
road obstructed, nor a gun fired at the enemy, in a march
of near forty miles, from Benedict to Upper Marlborough,
by a route on which there are ten or a dozen difficult de-
files ; which, with a few hours labour, six pieces of light
artillery, 300 infantry, 200 riflemen, and 60 dragoons,
might have been defended against any force that coidd
approach them ;' such is the narrowness of the road,
the profundity of the ravines, the steepness of the accli-
vities, and the sharpness of the ridges.

If Mr. Madison liad been a provident magistrate, if he Tlie line
had possessed that love for his country which real i>a- ?>**^°",^"*"^

* -'I President

triotism inspires, or if he had even respected his own Miui.sou

fame, expecting, as he acknowledged he did. that the ^ '*^''^ ***
^ "^ «j nave pur-

cnemy meditated an attack against the national capital, s"ed

• See the report of the connmittee of congress, paj^es 23 — 24.

t See tiie map on which General Ross's route is laid down; com-
pare it with General Ross's, and Admirals Cockbiun and Cochranc's
despatches, and bear in rcmd that every creek in this ron{e formnJ
a diJictiU and dati^^erous defile.

760 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP especially confided to his charge, it became his solemn

XVI.

duty to gird on his sword, take the field, and rally his
countrymen around him ; the direct invasion of the seat
of government is perhaps the single case, which could
warrant the President of the United States in entering
upon the exercise of his military functions ; if President
Madison had pitched hi - tent, even at the late hour when
he received advice of the arrival of tlie van of Admiral
Cochrane in the Cliesapeake, on the 15th July, and had
avowed Iiis determination to defend the capital of his
country to the last extremity, and proclaimed that arm-
ed volunteers would be acceptable, he would have been
encircled by the best blood of the country, within 300
miles of him ; and, if he could have summoned up reso-
lution not to have run away at the verijjirst shot, the con-
test of a single hour would have compelled, the rash and
indiscreet. General Ross to have laid down his arms, and
President Madison would have immortalised his name,
by leading the vanquislied foe in triumph through that
metropolis, the destruction of which he had meditated.
Alas! what a melancholy contrast do we behold in the
President's conduct and the consequent catastrophe.

Being interdicted the use of my sword, I had left the
city of Washington for the summer ; but a domestic mis-
fortune carried me back in the beginning of August, and
I found every thing quiet in respect to the defence of the
place. On the 18th of the month, observing the pa-
rade of several volunteer companies of the city and
Georgetown, I inquired the cause, and was informed ad-
vice had reached the city of the approach of the enemy
by the Patuxent. On the evening of the same day I re-
ceived a note from Colonel Monroe, advising me that the
menacing movements of the enemy up the bay had deter-
mined him to reconnoitre them, for which purpose he in-
tended leaving the city the next morning. I had before
been apprised of the arrival of Admiral Cochrane in the
Chesapeake, and the increase of the enemy's shipping,
and made no doubt the attack I had long expected was
now to be carried into execution. I could not discover

GENERAL. WILKINSON. 7Cl

that ally precautions had been taken to obstruct the chaP.
march ol" the enemy, and I know that no efficient pre- ''^'
parations had been made to resist them. I was at this
time quartered with a revolutionary officer,* who had
spilt his blood in the cause of his country, and he will
recollect my solicitude for the safety of the city, my ideas
of the route by which the enemy would approach it, and
the be«t mode of resisting; them ,* I felt most sensibly for
my country, and with agony nf min<l, in my aiiawcr to
Colonel Monroe's note, proposed, that could my arrest be Wilkinson
suspended, and my sword restored for a short period, Iwould to colonel
take the command of the militia, and save the city or for- ^'onroe to
felt my life. This was a proffer of diic responsibility at his arrest,
so late an hour^ but I preferred death to inaction at such a"d offers
a crisis, and did believe, that by covering the roads in city.
front of the enemy with working parties, to obstruct them
by all practicable means, and at the same time falling on
their rear by the new road to Zakiah swamp, or that
by St. Paul's church, with Peter's artillery, StuU's, Da-
vidson's, and Dougherty's riflemen and infantry, and
fifty dragoons ; whilst simultaneous attacks were made
on his front and left flank, at every exposed point or dif-
ficult defile, by flying parties of four or five hundred in-
fantry, so stationed as to relieve each other as the enemy
advanced. I repeat ! it was then, and is still my opinion, His plan
that by such attacks, judiciously conducted and vigorous- ancTand
ly pushed, if the enemy had not retraced their steps, defence.
they would have crossed the Patuxcnt at Nottingham or *

Pig Point, and returned to their shipping ; or if they
had persevered in their march against the capital, their
boats might have been destroyed, and their retreat cut oft',
or rendered a scene of carnage. To have assured this issue,
it was only necessary to post the Baltimore troops and the
corps from Annapolis at some convenient point, on the
route between Queen Ann and the Governor's Bridge, with
orders to push heavy parties of observation to t!ic verge of

• Captain W. O'Nci'
VOL. I. 5 1)

76S MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, the enemy's camp in Marlborough, and to hold theiftselves
^^^^ in readiness to harass their rear in whatever direction they
might march ; and here it may be proper to remark, that
the maxim, " he who divides his force will be beaten in de-
tail,^' must be received with qualification, as the art of
war depends on an infinity of unforeseen 'contingencies,
and therefore is not reducible to specific rules : it will
apply to armies nearly on an equality, which are ma-
noeuvring for advantages, hut never to an inferior force,
which, though competent to harass its adversary, dare
not hazard a general engagement. But President Ma-
dison preferred to signalise himself in a pitched battle,
and as he scorned the idea of taking any advantage of his
antagonist, he permitted him an undisturbed march to
the theatre of combat.
Wilkinson Having received no reply to my note to Colonel Mon-
not receiv- ^^^^ j j^^^ ^j^^ metropolis on the 20th, being persuaded
swerto his President Madison would have hazarded the burning up
"eaves ^^ *'^^ whole district, sooner than discompose the har-
Washing- mony of the cabinet, by giving ofTence to Secretary Arm-
^°"" strong. I am indeed shocked when I take a retrospect

of the evidences which fell under my observation at that
time, of the terror in which that minister kept more than
one great man at Washington ; for I would sooner cease
to exist, than live in fear of an equal. Sick and disgust-
ed, 1 retired to .the mountains for the restoration of my
health, and therefore the sequel of this narrative rests
• upon the information of military men, actually engaged

in the scenes which occupy my pen, in whose candour I
repose the highest confidence.
inefileient The corps of district militia, paraded at Washington
equipment ^^ ^j^^ ^g^j,^ ^.^^ 3^ pj^^.j. „f ^^^ gooo kept in a disposable

litia. state and subject to General Wirider^s orders, as the Presi-
dent informed him by his regular organ the 17th July ;
yet this part of the corps not exceeding 1200 rank and
file, was still unorganised, and Stull's company of rifle-
men actually unarmed ; these men had been regularly
drilled to this arm, and they were expert in the use of it j

(lENERAL WILKINSON.

76a

yet neither the application of the Captain, nor that of chap.
the General himself, could prevail on tlie executive to in- ^^^
dulge their wishes for their favourite weaj)on,* and that '"^^^^**'
company marched against the enemy without arms, late
in the afternoon of the 20th. General Winder's situation Pcrplexi-
at this moment, was more than cnouc^h to have embar- V"*^^ ,
rassed an officer of forty campaigns, and it was his for- Win.icr*.
tune to have served but two. With a respectable column *'^"*^'°"'
of veteran troops approaching him, under the conduct of
an able General, and commanded by experienced officers.
General Winder should have been prepared to mount his
horse, draw his sword, and advance upon the invaders
in such force as would have assured victory. If any part
of my gallant, native state, were disaffected, which I
will not admit, 20,000 of tlje ardent patriotic sons of
Virginia, at the word of their chief magistrate, would
have rallied around the capital of their country ; why
the precaution was not taken. President Madison should
have answered to that outraged country; instead of
which, he was sheltered from public reprobation, by an
elaborate, incorrect, and uncandid congressional report.
But what was the General's actual situation? The intre-
pid foe was advancing upon him within three days march,
when he found himself without men or means; without and the
an efficient commissariat quarter-master's department or ^fg^means
general staff; without depots of provisions or of forage,
or axes or intrenching tools, or even flints ; he had an
army to levy, and form, and array, from the unorganized
yeomanry of the country, scattered over hundreds and
hundreds of miles. Thus circumstanced, he had neither
time for deliberation, nor means for operation ; and
should this officer be held responsible for consequences ?
Forbid it justice! No! James Madison, the unworthy
President of tlic United States, was the cause of the dis-
honour of his country, in the conflagration of its capital.

* It seems President Madison preferred to have the arms destroy-
ed by the enemy, sooner than employ them for ihoir destruction.

5^61 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. His contempt of the salutary admonition contained in
^^^ General Winder's letter of the 9th July, and various
other applications from different quarters, and the tram-
mels he imposed on that officer, were sufficient to discou-
rage defence; but his puny, undecisive, abortive propo-
sition of the 17th July, for « imbodying and enramping^
at some middle point between Baltimore and the city, a
force not less than 2000, nor more than 3000 men," from
a levy depending on vague contingencies, capped the
climax of imbecility, and produced the desperate state
of things which sealed the triumph of the enemy.
Movement From the disorganized and ill-provided condition in
force from which they were found, the troops from the city, that
the city, disvosabk force held in readiness under the PresidenVs eye

and of the -^ , „r- , , , i , . • .

enemy jor General JVinaer s orders, could not be put in motion

^^"^ ,. until the 20th of August in the afternoon ; they crossed
the Eastern Branch, advanced a few miles, and encamp-
ed. The enemy had marched the same day from Benedict,
taking the river road, as will be seen by reference to the
map, and liaving passed the difficult defile of Swanson's
creek, tliey also encamped. On the 21st, in the morning, the
volunteers from the city were organized into a regiment,
and Captain StuU received muskets instead of rifles; but
the troops w^ere obliged to wait until near noon for their
baggage and provisions ; they then proceeded, and in the
evening reached the wood-yard, where they halted for the
night, and the next morning found themselves in want of
subsistance. The enemy, in the mean time, had advanced
to Nottingham without molestation, where they met their
flotilla under Admiral Cockburn, and again encamped.
Transac- On the morning of the 22d, the cavalry of Laval and
*h"22d f Tilghman, say 200 men, with the regular troops under
August, lieutenant-colonel Scott, about 400 strong, were ordered to
advance towards Nottitigham, and reached Oden's house,
where they were soon followed by Major Peter, with
six 6-pounders flying artillery, and a detachment of about
250 select men. General Ross marched from Nottingham
the same morning by the Chapel road leading to Mar!-

GENERAL WILKINSON.

765

bolV)Ugli, and on discovering the American troops, made chap.
A detachment to his left to meet them, which advanced to ^^'
the foot of the hill near Oden's house, when llie Amcri- '"^"'''^^^
can troops fell back, and the enemy resumed their march.
This was the first occasion whicli presented for a colli-
.9ion of arms, and General Winder was prrsent with the
American troops ; but if a fault was then committed, he
should not be held responsible, because he was attended
by a minister of the cabinet, an older soldier, by whose
advice he was doubtless influenced ; nor is lie to be blamed
for falling back on the approach of the enemy, because it
was not his policy to indulge the British commander in a
general action wliich he souj^ht ; indeed that was tiie last
great error of President Madison. But General Winder Conduct
should, in my judgment, have ordered his main body, then l^lf""^*

•^ "^ "' Winder

commanded by General Smith of the district of Columbia, should
which was under arms near the wood-yard ready for com- "^^^^P^r-
bat, to have gained the heights on the left of Charles's creek,
and as soon as the enemy had resumed their march and pass-
ed Oden's, he should have followed them and fallen on their
rear at the time General Smith engaged their front, or
when their centre had passed the creek ; but the enemy
gave him a more favourable opportunity, by turning to their
right soon after they had passed Bishop Claggett's, in or-
der to communicate with the flotilla at Mount Calvert, on
a road so flanked by hills and ravines, that by a vigorous
attack their rear might have been broken and cut up, be-
fore they could have made front to support it ; pent up in its proba-

such narrow difficult grounds, and pressed in front and ^^'e ^ff^^^ts
o ' I on Genera!

rear, the effect of General Ross's discipline and numbers Ross.
would have been impaired, and liejnust have been crip-
pled before he could have extricated himself, whilst the
American corps, with the country open behind them,
could have withdrawn at discretion ; and although the
enemy might have gained Upper Marlborough, it would
have terminated their advance ; this is speculation, but
whatever may be its merits, I know the corps of Scott
and Peters panted for action, and they should have been

766 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, indulged; in such circumstances, blood judiciously ex-

^^'' pended excites emulation and inspires courage.

Winder ^"^ General Winder fell back on his main body near

falls back tlic wood-yard, from whence he retired to encamp at the

main^body ^""^ ^"^ Fields, and, like all retrograde movements in

and Ross the face of an enemy, this disheartened his men and offi-

toUpper c^^^* General Ross, after his interview with Admiral

Marlbo- Cockburn near Mount Pleasant, proceeded leisurely to

rousrb

Barney's Upper Marlborough, where he the same day pitched his

flotilla camp ; and Cockburn, with his barges, pursued Barney's

flotilla, which had, by order of President Madison, been

unfortunately abandoned, and was without resistance

blown up, when it will be apparent to every competent

judge, that, from the narrowness of the channel, the

Commodore could have defended himself, and repulsed

any floating force the cnenjy could have brought against

him, and his flanks were well secured by the extent of the

marshes on both sides of the river. Thus the primary

object* of the enemy would have been bafiled, and the

meritorious services of the Commodore and his gallant

crew would have been enhanced ; but, as if the curse of

I)eaven accompanied the authority of President Madison,

his orders and arrangements blighted every hope and

blasted every expectation.

Barney Commodore Barney, with the men of his flotilla, who

men join ^^^^ "^ccu SO Unfortunately called from their proper ele-

the army, jnent to a service of which they had little understanding,

joined the troops at the long Old Fields on the 22d, which

augmented the extraordinary melange encamped at that

place to about 3200 men ; and with this disorganized

body General Winder rashly kept his position during the

night, within eight miles of four or five thousand veteran

troops, who ought to have marched upon and routed him.

The following account from an officer who passed the

* It appears from the correspondence of General Ross and Admi-
rals Cochrane and Cockburn, that the attack of Washington formed
a secondary consideration, and was referred to contingencies at the
time the armament moved from Benedict. See Appendix, No. XIX-

GENERAL WILKINSON. 757

night at the Old Fields the 22d August, will give some chap.
idea of the laxity of discipline, and the disorder whicli will ^^'•
ever attend such heterogeneous assemhlages of armed and
unarmed citizens: "The camp was as open all night as Dcscr.p-
a race field, and the sailors and militia were as noisy as ^'"""*^^''«
if at a fair ; you might hear the countersign fifty yards camp on
when a sentry challenged; I made up my mind that if oni'iez^d.
Ross, whose camp I had reconnoitred in the evening,
was a man of enterprise, he would he upon us in the
course of the night ; and being determined to die like a
trooper's horse, I slept with my shoes on ; but I was de-
ceived, and about one o'clock Secretary Jones and Mr.
Rush called on General Winder, and informed him the
President was in the neighbourhood, in consequence of
which a body guard of a company of regulars were or-
dered to the President's quarters. About two o'clock,
Mr. Loughborough, at the head of thirteen volunteers,
came to the General's quartei's on horseback ; they were
equipped, and offered their services.

General Stansbury's brigade of Baltimore militia had
reached Bladensburgh tlic evening before ; the distin-
guished revolutionary veteran Colonel Beall, with a body
of militia from Annapolis ; and tlie 5th regiment of Bal-
timore volunteers, with a party of riflemen, were under
march for the same place. In this situation of his corps, President

President Madison joined his main body at the lone Old ^'^^^''^™
J •' &'-'•»* reviews

Fields, with his suite, excepting Colonel Monroe, who his army.
was performing active service on scout, and I understand
had been very nearly made prisoner the evening before
at Nottingham. The troops were turned out on the morn-
ing of the 23d, and reviewed by their commander in
chief, whose martial appearance gladdened every coun-
tenance and encouraged every heart; on seeing the Pre-
sident before tlicm, the trust attached to exalted stations
inspired the troops with confidence; looking up to him
as the fountain of wisdom and intelligence, the souire ol
judgment and discretion, the idea of fighting under his
orders dissipated every apprehension ; for when the so-

768 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, vereign exposes his person, who is there so base as not to

^^^- court danger.

. , . , It appears from Admiral Cockburn's letter of the 27th

Cock- August, to Admiral Cochrane, that he went the morning

correspon- ^^ ^'^^ ^^^ August from Mount Calvert to Marlborough,

dence re- to confer with General Ross, with respect to ulterior

ferredto. ^jpej.j^^jons, that they promptly determined to march

against Washington, and agreed that the army should

advance, and the sailors and marine artillery, then at Pig

Point, should be ordered forward, to join them at the

encampment of the night ; the marines of the ships to be

left at Marlborough for the protection of their sick, lame.

General provision and water craft. In consequence of this reso-

moves five lution, General Ross moved five miles out of Marlbo-

miies out roui'h, on the road to the long Old Field, and encamped,

ofMarlbo- , . . .. o • -i i • j-^,

rough and no doubt to give time for the sailors and marine artillery
encannps. jq ggj- ^p^ j^jj,] (;q gge what effect his movement would
produce on t!»e American army. Major Peter, with his
detachment, had been sent out, after the review of the
commander in chief in the morning, to feel the enemy at
Marlborough ; he met their advanced guard a mile or
two from that place, skirmished with it, and, without
consequences, fell back to the Old Fields. The com-
nvander in chief and his suite remained in camp with the
troops until evening, in the expectation of an action, with
which he would doubtless have been gratified, but for the
reasons before stated. It appears that in the course of
the day, the commander expressed a desire for a speedy
concentration of his forces, and that General Winder
endeavoured to give effect to the proposition ; from this
disposition it seems manifest, that President Madison
sought a general action, certainly not because the chances
of a favourable result were on the side of the American
corps, composed as it was of soldiers, sailors, marines,
drafted militia, and volunteers, men and oflScers perfect
strangers to each other, in general raw and undisciplined,
and who had never trod a field of battle, or looked an
enemy in the face ; would such a mass, hurried and hud-

GENERAL WILKINSON, fj/^fj^

died tf>,^ctl»cr, without prcconrcrt or arrang«'ment, Ijave
been able to combat, with cflTect, a supor-ior force of
veterans led by able and experienced oJKcers? Military
men will answer in the negative. But the President too ri.-ai,ifnt
late perceived, that he had by liis improvidence and ne- cone!" "
gleet committed the capital of his country, and, like a ^'•^tt» his
desperate gambler, determined to hazard all on a single d°'tt*r.*°
throw; he therefore proposed to commit his fellow citi- "^'"^'°"»
zens to an unequal confliit, regardless of their liveSf and action.
to trust to ac( ident or good fortune for the preservation
of the metropolis and his own honour. I can no other-
wise account for his proposition to concentrate his force
at the long Old Fields, and receive the enemy on a plain;
for, with tlic addition of General Stansbury's brigade, he
could not have fought more than -iSOO men of all arms,
as the 5th regiment of Baltimore volunteers, and the mi-
litia from Annapolis, could not have got up in season.
But, if instead of this vain idea of concentration, General C5eneral
Winder's plan of menacing the enemy's left flank had piJ"'^^ *
liecn pusiied a little further, General Ross would inevi- operutions
tably have been obliged to retrograde, the corps at the ^j"^' '^^'
Old Fields miglit then have harassed his rear, and it re-
quires little penetration to discern what would have been
the consequence.

A different course was pursued, the commander inThePresi-
chief retired to his palace, aud the troops veryjudiciously ^j^"^ "j^'^
broke up their camp at the Old Fields, and followed him the troops
across the Eastern Branch, orders having been previous- ^^^^^
]y transmitted to Stansbury, Beall, and the 5tlj regiment
of Baltimore volunteers, to take post near Bladensburgh.
It has been brought as a charge against General Winder,
and the military committee appointed to gloss over the
conduct of President Madison, and screen him from pub-
lic condemnation, have deemed it worthy of notice, that
the march from the Old Fields was somewhat hurried
and disorderly, as if it were possible to conduct the re- Th? dis-
treat of a body of irregulars, under cover of the night, ^Jtreat
with regularity and order; surely the hoiirnrable chair- from the

VOL. r. 5 E

770 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, man of that committee must have known that liis own
^^^* gallant volunteers, the meritqrious conquerors of Tecum-
oid Fields ^^'*' did not at all times, even in day-light, keep their
accounted ranks dressed with precision, or their files closed to regu-
lar distance; indeed, considering the mockery of the
Presidential pageant and other circumstances, it is matter
of wonder that the General should be able to keep the
men together in anij order,
Ross's in- gut ,^ext to a general action or a continued Jlightf these
attacking' Were the vei"y movements the British General most de-

the Ame- gired : thcy consummated bis wishes and removed all
ncan ., ... i^i,- nj. i

camp. anxiety, by putting his rear and flaniis m safety, and,

placing the wliole force of his adversary in his front ; I

am well assured by tlie inhabitants that General Ross's

patroles were, before midnight, on the ground which had

been abandoned by the American troops, and that it was

his intention to have attacked them before day, if they

Lad continued stationary ; be this as it may, he certainly

understood the nature of the ground General Winder

occupied, and the order of his encampment, which was

readily procured by spies. I understand the intercourse

between the hostile camps, at only eight miles distance,

could not be so strictly restrained as it ought to have

been ; one of these wretches, a native resident near

Marlborough, was apprehended in the camp, while the

commander in cliief was in the act of reviewing his

troops ; he was committed for trial, and it is generally

believed would have been convicted, if President Madison

had not interposed a noli prosequi, to rescue him from the

justice of his country.

DIsposj- ^[^he begt information I have been able to procure, aives

tion of the . * ^

American the following disposition to the adverse troops during the

troops on „ig.|,t ^j- jj^g ^Sd August.* The main body of the Ameri-

tne ni,sfht o -^ <f

of the 23d. can army in tlie city near the lower bridge of the Eastern

Branch ; Stansbury's brigade of militia, the 5th regiment

of Baltimore volunteers, about 100 riflemen, and two

companies of artillery from the same place near Bladens-

* See Atlas, No. XVI.

%
GENERAL AVILKINSON.

771

burgli ; Colonol Bcall, witli a rcgimctit of militia, was at chap.
an iindcrinod point in the ncit^liboui'liood of llie NVestorn ^^'
Branch of the Patiixent, supposed to be nearly equidistant
from Marlborough and Bladcnsburgh, and not nearer than
nine miles to cither. Tlie British army occupied their camp
uear the long Old Fields, two htmdrcd ship marines under
command of Captain Robyns, were stationed at Marlbo-
rough, and their water craft was left at Mount Calvert.
There can be no doubt this was an injudicious disposition

«

of the American forces ; but is General Winder to be
condemned for it? I think notj because President Madi-
son, by urging a concentration of his corps, when so re-
cently in camp, at the long Old Fields, had clearly indi-
cated his determination to try the issue of a general action,
and the General appears to have exerted every nerve to
give effect to his plan ; in circumstances at once perplex-
ing and equivocal, none but a soldier habituated to subor-
dination, can feel tlie influence of an intimation from a su-
perior, or interpret the force of his opinion. Tiie proxi-
mity of the enemy and the position of the American
troops, forbade the seasonable concentration at the long
Old Fields ; yet the views of the President were not to
be abandoned, and General Winder fell back within five
miles of the point, where the auxiliary coips had been
ordered to rendezvous. I place myself in General Win-
der's situation, and reason from what would have been
my own decisions in a similar case. But if I had com-
manded at the Old Fields, witli liberty to exercise
my own judgment, I should have offered the enemy
a free passage to the city, instead of attempting to
oppose him in a pitched battle, with a body of citizens^
without organization or discipline, nine tenths of whom
had never seen a priming burnt in hostility, and the
whole of them strangers to an order of battle ; and ha-
zarding every thing on my own discretion, I should have
preferred tlie very judicious design of General Winder, General
proposed for the corps of Stansbury, Beall and Sterrctt, ^1^5",^"^!,.
with orders to those officers to precijjitatc themselves proved.
upon Marlborough, cut np the marines, and destroy the

57s MEMOIRS By

CHAP, stores at tliat place at day-break the 24tl), and to press
^^^^^^ forward at the same time an elite party, with a few fifld
pieces, to captiar, or sink the water craft at Mount Cal-
vert. Having confided these arrangements to tlie execu-
tion of able and intelligent officers, as soon as night-fall,
I would have cleared tlie vicinity of my camp of all ob-
servers, and pushed a heavy picket of observation, with
Other ope- alert patroles, to the verge of the enemy's position; I
commend- should then have silently drawn off upon the road to-
ed, and wards Alexandria, until ( fell in with that which leads

thcir cvi-

dent con- directly to Upper Marlborough, and, with the necessary
sequences, pi^cautions to prevent surprise, my men should there have
reposed on their arms. Without other provisions but wl»at
they carried on their backs, and without resource but iii
their depot at Marlborough, and their water craft at
Mount Calvert, independent of the apprehensions ex-
cited by this ruse de guerre^ the attack of General Stans-
bury would have been the signal for General Ross to fall
hack, and I should have accompanied him; while our corps
at Marlborouglj, liaving done their business at that place,
would have retired, obstructing the roads, and taken
possession of those difficult heights on the right of
Charles's creek, to oppose and harass tlie British Gene-
ral in front, whilst the main body pressed his rear, and
the effect would have been to cripple and disgrace liina
at least.

But I will suppose the attack on General Ross's
rear at Marlborough had failed to induce him to retro-
grade, and that he had pressed forward for the city ;
fifty dragoons with their regimental axes, would have
sufficed to obstruct the bridges in season ; tlie corps at
Marlborough could have closed in on his right flank, and
tlie main body would have found him so muclj employ in
rear, as to prevent his front from progressing rapidly.
The policy aj^j t^e longer he persevered, the more desperate would
on the ^>^"^'P become !iis condition. In fine, it would have been
enemy as more honourable to have harassed him into the city, than

lie enteieu n , ,. , - , -n

the capi- to fly bctore Inm ; and if he had entered it under such cir-

*-^^- cumstances, the whole country would have been up in

GENERAL WILKINSON. ^fff§

arms aj^ainst him, and he would never have got back to chap.

his shijipiii];. ^^'i-

But the morning of the fatal S-ith arrived, and we find ^"^""^"^^

Pi'esident Madison and his cabinet surveying the lower

bridge of the Eastern Branch, half a mile long, with the

main body of the army arrayed for its defence. I have

never been able to account for the infatuation, which could

have produced tlie apprehension, that the enemy would

attempt the city by that route ; for if a plank had not The folly

been removed, this bridge would have been found more ?^ '^^P^*^^'

m^ ihe

difli( ult than that of Lodi ; because it could have been en- enemy by
filaded by the perpendicular fire of a triple range of heavy ^'" '"wer
cannon, and by cross fires from above and below it, and it and the
could also have been flanked by an armed schooner and a ^j^'^c^'^t °^

•^ detencling

sloop of war lying in the stream j besides it had a draw near it dcmon-
tlie western end, which, when raised, would have formed ^^^^^*'^*
an impassable barrier, and if pierced with a double range
of loop holes, would have furnished a safe coA^er for the
destructive fire of musketry, to which that of two or
three thousand infantry, from the shore and the bank,
could have been added ; hut if we abstract every species
of missile weapon, this defile could have been effectually
obstructed, by half a dozen axemen in an hour, or by a
single individual with a few barrels of powder in five
minutes. To suppose that an experienced ofiicer with
an accurate map* of the country before him, and a know-
ledge of the obstacles whidi might be opposed to his
inarch, should without artillery attempt the passage of a
defile thus susceptible of defence, betrayed an excess of
folly bordering on insanity.

Yet notwithstanding the glaring impossibility of pass-
ing the Eastern Branch by this bridge, the sapient Pre-
sident Madison, and the sage instructor of young generals,
after the most grave scrutiny of all circumstances, were pro-
foundly impressed with the opinion, that the British Gene-
ral would certainly make his attempt against the capital by

• See Admiral Cochrane's Letter, Appendix, No. XIX.

^4) MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, tffat route ; and to put tljis fact beyond doubt, I will quote
^ *■ an extract from a letter of an officer of character, rank and
Letter of intelligence, at that time in tlie service : « Durin.-? the
an officer morning of the 24tli," says he, << I was repeatedly in the
^encef *^"^ ^^ General ^yinder, near the lower bridge on the
quoted. Eastern Branch, where 1 found the President, the Secreta-
ries of War i\ ' the Navy, and the Attorney-general as-
sembled, to deliberate on the state of things, and aid the
General witli their counsel. Of this I was ignorant at the
time, and observing no privacy in their deliberations, the
interest I took in the public welfare, prompted me to ob-
trude some of my own ideas, more especially as a palpa-
bly erroneous opinion appeared to prevail, that the enemy
would approach by that bridge, and that the troops ought
therefore to be detained where they were to defend it. I
felt anxious they should move to Bladensburgh early, and
imite with the militia which had arrived from Baltimore,
because it would requii'e a great deal of time to post the
men advantageously, and to communicate the orders and
instructions how to act, according to the various chances
and events of battle. It seemed mere folly to expect the
enemy by the way of tlie bridge, where a dozen men,
with half an hour's notice, by destroying it might arrest
their progress. General Jirmstrong suggested they might
lay a bridge of pontoons ; I answered, it was impossible ;
to which he replied with a sneer, that the word impossible
was not to befonnU in the miiitary vocabulary. The viere
belief that an army, certainly short of 7 or 8000 men,
destitute as we knew them to be of horses to transport
their artillery and baggage, could notwithstanding con-
trive to carry an equipage of pontoons, sufficient for lay-
ing a bridge across a rivei*, near half a mile wide, de-
monstrated that General Armstrong's knowledge of pon-
toon bridges extended not much beyond the name. -

*« The conversation at General Winder's quarters dur-
ing ti»c morning was rather desultory ; first one siigges-
tion was made and commented on, and then another; no
idea seemed to be entertained that it was necessary to come

GENERAL WILKINSON. 773

inslanthj to a decision how we should act, and to set immt- chap.
diately aJjout itf when I mcntinricd tlje certainty of llic "^^''
enemy approaching by the route of IJIadensburj^h, in
preference to the brid.qc, and tlic expediency of taking
post there without any further delay. 1 observed my
opinion to produce some effect on the mind of the Presi-
dent ; by the others it was not much regarded.
, "To hasten the movement to Bladensburgh, I was
willing, with a single field piece and a few men, to make
myself answerable for the defence of tiic bridge. But the
llotilla men and marines had placed some pieces of heavy
cannon on the rising ground above the bridge, and seem-
ed tenacious of the honour of defending the post. This
corps, I understood, was not subject to General Winder's
orders ; the Secretary of the Navy had the nominal di-
rection of it, but it was actuailtj under the command of the
Fresidcnt. It is to be regretted a practice so deservedly
exploded as that of employing men under more than one
independent chief, where a united effort was required,
should have prevailed at that crisis."

Here then we have a practical demonstration of the Proof of
cliief command of President Madison on this memorable Madison'*
day: for if General Winder directed the horse, foot, *^^"'''* ,
and artillery, it is manuest he had no contJ'ol over the
marines and llotilla men, efficient corps of the army,
and it will not be denied, that President Madison did
command the whole.

AVhilst the day was thus wasted in idle discussions and General
fluctuating councils, whicii seemed to increase with the ^,"pchc«
pressure of danger, the British General, to save his *or Hia-

. , •! 1 r Ai • I i densburqh

troops as much as possible trom the excessive heat, *

had, at an early hour, put them in motion, directly
for Bladensburgh, twelve miles from his camp, and pass-
ed the long Old fields about 4 o'clock A.M. at 8 miles,
barely an hoiir^s ride, from the position of the American
corps, near the Eastern Branch ; and yet the commander
in chief had no intimation of this decisive movement un-
til about 11 o'clock. The interval of seven hours had
been consumed in entire inaction, or inconclusive delibe-

776 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, rations ; can we have a more satisfactory evidence of the
^ imbecility and irresolution of President Madison ; his in-
fatuation is so amazinc^, that ( ould his patriotism be ques-

ThePresi- tionotl, as is his veneration for the constitution, he might

dent s !j^-

norance of he suspected of treachery.

tbeene- | understand tliat Colonel Monroe, who certainly for
my s ap. ^ j

proach. a gentleman of his years, manifested great zeal and ac-
tivity, was still on scout, and had sought repose on the
night of the 23d, wide of the enemy, at the seat of ray
late respected friend, the venerable revolutionary patriot,
Osborn Sprigg, Esq. But soon after he entered the hos-
pitable mansion of Northampton, an express advised him
of the enemy's advance towards General Winder's camp,
in consequence of which he immediately mounted his
Mr. Secre- horse and proceeded for the metropolis ; and falling in
roe pro- with General Stansbury as he passed Bladensburgh, he
poses to advised him to march, gain the enemy's rear, and attack
Stansbury him, as the only means of saving the city ; and this was
to fall on ^jjg first, last, and only salutary proposition, excepting
my's rear, the idea suggested by General Winder the same da}',

IS prevent- ^vhich I have heard of, during the advance of the enemy ;

ed by his ' o J y

orders. but General Stansbury being under orders to hold his
position at Bladensburgh, he was not at liberty to change
it, except by the authority of his legitimate superior. At
this time. General Stansbury occupied the heights of
Bladensburgh in rf, d,* hut as is common to raw troops
in alert situations, a false alarm took place about mid-
night, which caused the corps to stand to its arms, until
two o'clock P. M. wlien information being received from
General Winder, that he had retired to the city by the
Eastern Branch bridge; to guard against the enterprise
of the enemy. General Stansbury determined to place the
village between them and his corps, and accordingly
struck his camp and crossed to the opposite heights. This
alarm and movement broke the repose of these citizen
soldiers, some of them already worn down with fatigue,
and contributed to unfit them for action the next day.

* See Atlas, Mo. XVU.

GENERAL WILKINSON.

n'i

I derive tlic following particulars from an officer of the CMAJ*.
Baltiimirc corps, a man of respectability and honour : — ^^'•
" At early day-Iigl»t on the morning of the 2*tb, tlic iTT"^^^^^
command of General Stansbiiry wncre roused and marched "t Oc-ncral
towards Washington, as 1 understood by an order from |^'*"?'
head-quarters,* and when within two or three miles of command,
the city, halted and took a hasty breakfast ; after which
they received orders to countermarch to Bladensburgh ;
(he road was extremely dusty and the day excessively
hot, which caused great fatigue to men unaccustomed to
hardships, who were ail much dispirited by the apparent
indecision at head-quarters, and their ignorance of the
enemy's strength, position, or movements ; expecting,
however, from general riuiiour, that they were advancing
towards IJIadensburgh, the principal officers concluded to Formation
jfbrm a /me fronting the village, with their right resting ° ^^^ '"^
un the Washington road, and about half a mile from the
hridgc, in ?h, m, «;f they also posted four field pieces with
the Baltimore artillery, and a small battalion of rifle-
men within a quarter of a mile of the luridge, in h, i;
this took place between ±1 and 12 o^clockf at tvhich time
these troops knew not where the remainder of the army rvas,
or of what number it consisted, for they had seen no part of
il ; nor did they know how or by whom they were to he
supported or assisted, nor were they certain by whom they
were to be commanded in tfie engagement, which they now
knew was soon to take place ; as a few horsemen had just
come in, and reported the enemy at two or three miles dis-
tance, under march. Mout this time, Colonel Laval, with
his regular cavalry, and Colonel Tilghman, with a regi-
ment of militia light horse, arrived, and tooit post to the
left of the line; they were followed by the President and his Arrival of

President
^[aclisoll
* General Winder contradicts this statement in his narrative to the and his

committee of congress ; yet in such an anomalous command, the suite, and
thing might have happened without his knowledge ; the fact may, I approach
think, Lie fairly presumed; because, if General Stansbury had de- gp^n-,y.
serted his post under such circumstances, he surely would base bee^
arrested.

t See Alias, No. XVIT

voT,. r 5 F

778

MEMOIRS BY

CHAP
XVI.

Cavalry
move-
ments.

ministerSf and General Winder and his suite ; and soon after
a cloud of dust in the south-east aimounced the near ap'
proach of the enemy, whose glittering arms betrayed them,
before they exhibited themselves on the opposite heights of
Bladensburgh. No change had been made in our line,
nor did any more men appear to support us, except a
company of infantry which was posted near the battery
in I, a»tl a company of artillery with three pieces, which
took post on tlie left of the Baltimore volunteers, in o;
but we were informed that another line would be formed
in our rear, composed of regulars and militia, which
could not be seen by us ! !" This account of my corres-
pondent agrees in the main, with those I have received
from others, and docs not disagree essentially with the
report of the committee of congress, except that the lat-
ter gave the battery six instead of four pieces, and the
former omits the active agency of Colonel Monroe, in
forming the line and disposing of the cavalry.

I'he divan, with the President at its head, which we
left in consultation at the Eastern Branclj, although de-
termined that tlie enemy should attempt that pass, disco-
vered about 10 o'clock tliat the cavalry could be spared
from the expected conflict^ they were accordingly order-
ed to repair to Bladensburgh, and report to General
Stansbury; by antecedent drudgery and the want of fo-
rage, the dragoon horses had been broken down, and
when the squadron of regulars reached the position of
the troops from Baltimore, the enemy were descending
tlie heiglits of Bladensburgh, and General Stansbury was
sought for in vain; but Colonel Monroe happened to be
at hand to relieve the embarrassment, and led the cavalry
across the field in the rear of Stansbury, and posted them
in a hollow at s, where they were securely covered from
the fire of the enemy, but could not move without defiling
by the right, and of course tlu' position was not adapted
to a charge ; yet I have understood that the brave
veteran Laval, who could draw 120 swords only, had de-
termined to m.ike the experiment, and for this purpose
had gone forward, to keep an eye to the tide of battle in

GENERAL WILKINSON. 779

]iis front; and as the favourable moment approached, by chap.
the irregular pursuit of the enemy, he returned to his '^^"^
orps to put his plan into execution, but discovered that
one troop of his command had gone off without leave, he
knew not whither, and being now reduced to sixty-fuiir
swordsmen, he very properly determined not to throw
away tlie lives of brave men. Of the militia cavalry,
several of whom I know to be men of intrepidity, I can
say nothing, because my applications for information to
several of the officers have proved ineffectual, although
they could liave thrown much light on the subject of this
chapter; about 11 o'clock the embarrassments of the
President were removed, as I am informed, by the arri-
val of a private gentleman who had spent the preceding
evening with General Ross, and announced his approach
in the direction of Bladensburgh.

I would that the scenes which follow could be buried
in oblivion, but the exposition may serve as a beacon to
future Presidents ; it is by tlie knowledge of truth we avoid
error; and I record facts for the use of the historian and
for posterity. The alarm caused by this intelligence
could not be concealed from the troops ; it impaired their
confidence in their leaders, and damped their ardour :
and the hurry of the marcii to the ground of action,
through heat and dust, dis(iualified thein for manly exer-
tion and an obstinate resistance ; in this movement we
have another evidence of the President's actual command ;
the troops subject to the especial order of General Win-
der marched under his authority, but Commodore Barney
with his flotilla men, and Major Miller with the marines,
moved by direction of the President. Having seen the President
troops all in motion, tlie commander in chief, accompa- \.^p.J^°^Q
nied by the Secretary of War and other gentlemen of his the scene
suite, repaired to the scene of action, whither he was °
followed by General Winder and his staff.

I beg leave to call the attention of the reader to the Atlas Xo.
Atlas No. XVII., whicii exhibits the field of battle of the J^.^/^j'ti'
24th of August, 1S14, and the positions of the several

780 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, corps of the American army, excepting that of Colonel
Kramer's battalion, which I have not been able to locate.

tiiough it bears the reputation of having acfiuittcd itself
with conspicuous gallantry. I do not offer this sketch
as the result of a critical survey, but it will convey to a
military eye, a clear conception of the locality, and the
uW- scale will give the distances with sufficient precision. It
^V*^ is in vain that professional men shall search for the ex-
Dlsposi- cellencies of this disposition of the American army, in
AmerLaJf ^^^^ P^^*^ "^" •" ^'.*^ whole, in the advantages of a single
army con- point, or the combination of all, whether viewed in re-
spect to the principles and maxims of war, ancient or mo-
dern, or M'ith reference to the incidents of desultory war-
fare, which are not reducible to fixed rules ; it is void of
plan or proportion, concert or co-operation ; and the na-
ked truth is the best apology for it, that is, it w&s form-
ed on the spur of the occasion, by pieces, and under the
direction of many different chiefs, without preconcert,
principle, or design. Shall I expose the particular faults
of this disposition? It would not reward the pains; a
few remarks will suffice. If the enemy had been oUiged
to pass the bridge, and it could not have been removed or
ohstrudedf then tiie greatest force should have been
brought to oppose them in debouching from the defile ;
hut the disposition actually made, served only to expose
the artillery to capture, or by its sudden flight, and that
t)f its light covering party, to increase the confidence of
the enemy, and depress the spirits of the American
front. But as the eastern brancli was every where ford-
able, and a considerate judicious antagonist would have
crossed the creek at the forks, and turned the left flank of
what was called the first lijie, the disposition was feeble,
injudicious, and ineffectual. It is true, the temerity of the
enemy, and his contempt for his antagonist, gave this dis-
position a different character ; but then it was too remote
i'rom tlie defile, to command it ; too remote from the ad-
vanced battery to support it^ intrinsically too feeble to
resist the shock of the enemy^s whole force ; and too dis-

GENERAL WILKINSON. 7Qt

tant from, what was called, tlic second line, to be sea- chap.
snnably .sii])ported by it. x^*

But let us enquire by whom, and under what circum- *'''*'^^^*^
stances, was this front line formed ? A detachment from
Baltimore, which had not yet joined the army, on its
march to Washington, was countermanded to Bladcns-
burgh, to take post to tlie best advantage, and rely upon
support, if the enemy should move upon that road. The
officers of that corps accordingly take a position, to op-
pose an enemy nf whose force, equipments, and route, they
possessed no ceitain knowledge, in concert with an army of
which they had only heard, and under a commander* who
had not made his appearance on the ground. Such was the
undisguised and unexaggerated situation of the volunteers of
Baltimore and Staiisbury^s brigade, when the President,
like another TFilliam or a Henry, presented himself to those
troops siirrouuded by his officers of state. Every eye was ThePrcsI-
immediately turned upon the chief, every bosom throbbed dent pro-
with confidence, and every nerve was strung with va- self\o the
lour. No doubts remained with the troops, tliat in the troops,
chief magistrate they beheld their commander in chief,
who, like another Maurice, having by his irresolution in
council, exposed the country to the cliances and accidents
of a general engagement, had now come forward to re-
pair the error, by his activity in the field, determined to
throw himself into the gap of danger, and not to survive
the honour of tiie country, especially intrusted to his guar-
dianship. Noble purpose ! for thus only could his presence
on the field of battle, at the commencement of the action,
be interpreted. Enviable destiny ! when a President of the
United States stood prepared to immortalise his name^

* It seems from the information of the Honourable Mr. Campbell,
the Secretary of the Treasury, to the Committee of Enquiry, that at
this critical stage of the operations, such was the fluctuation and in-
decision of President Madison's mind, lie had transfcred the com-
mand of General Winder to General Armstrong, the Secretary of
War ; but wifortiinately lie revoked this miconstitiitiovnl stretch ofpoTvei',
his cujiniii^in this instance not forsaking him amidst his terrors.

78^ MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, by defending the national capital at the expense of his
•^^'' life; or surviving a triumphant conflict, to receive the
highest linnours of his country, and live in the affections
of his fellow-citizens. That such would have been tlie
result, if President Madison had resolutely adhered to his
purpose, and given a courageous example to his fellow-
citizens, there can be no doubt; for when the Generalis-
simo was observed to court danger, who would have dar-
ed to be a coward? — not a man, I verily believe, in the
ranks of his whole army. Tlie reader will perceive by
turning to Admiral Cockburn's account of this affair,
that General Ross, by his self-confidence, or his contempt
for his enemy, or his impatience and impetuosity of tem-
Descrip- P^**' sacrificed every advantage of numbers, discipline,
tion of experience, and professional skill, by intemperately rush-
Ross's^ i"S on to battle with 1500 men only, half conquered by
force car- fatigue, and in great disorder.

action. The circumstances in which President Madison found

the first line of his army, should have induced him to
press forward Commodore Barney without a halt, with
the marines, his flotilla men, and Colonel Beall's militia,
until he could have placed his battery on General Stans-
bury's right, and formed his line on that flank, in the
What margin of the wood ; and simultaneous with, or anterior
ought to ^^ ti^jg movement, the regular troops under that excellent

have been ^ ^

the con- officer, Licutenant-coloncl Scott, and the corps of General
President S*^'*^''* should have been pushed forward, by the shortest
Madison, and readiest route, the former to flank the Baltimore vo-
lunteers on the left, and the latter to have formed a second
line at supporting distance ; with orders to both flanking
corps to close on the enemy, and to the second line to iiil up
every chasm which might happen in the first. The ene-
my thus encompassed by 6000 men, it would not have
been an affair of fifteen minutes, and they must have laid
down their arms. The General and Admiral would have
paid for their temerity, and the panic struck rear divi-
sion must have fallen, together with the marines at Marl-
borough, before it could have retraced its steps to that
place.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 783

Like another Marathon or Saratoga, tlicn tlie Field chap.
OF Bladensijurcii, instead of a *************#*«, xvi.
would have become the distinguislicd theatre of national
glory, and the 24tli of August would have been celcbrat-
cd as tiie anniversary of President Madison's victory.
But, alas! how shall I paint the disgraceful reverse of
these proud anticipations ! Not all the allurements of
fame, not all the obligations of duty, nor the solemn in-
vocations of honour, could excite a spark of courage ,♦ the
love of a life which had become useless to mankind, and
served but to embarrass the public councils, and preju-
dice the public cause, stifled the voice of patriotism, and
prevailed over the love of glory. And at the very first
shot, the " trembling coivardi^ with a faultering voice
exclaimed, " Come, General Jlrmstrong, come, Colond
Monroe, let us go, and leave it to the cominanding Gene-
ral;^'* and in place of seeking death, in a blaze of im-
perishable glory, he ignominiously turned his back upon
the enemy, and upon his country ; and in the face fif the
whole army, was the first man to give the dastardly ex-
ample of flight. What could be expected from the hum-
ble citizen, on whose existence a virtuous wife and a help-
less progeny- depended f(»r sustenance, when he beheld the
chief to whom lie looked for conduct, unincumbered by
such precious dependents, and who was responsible to the
nation for the consequences he had drawn upon it, aban-
don his post, and retire before the approach of danger?
What but the panic which ensued could be expected ? or
why should the private in the ranks persevere in danger, its effects
when his chief forsakes him, and by his desertion magni- °" , ^ ^

•' •-' great part

iies the danger tenfold ? The coup was struck, and it was of the mi-
in vain General Winder and other brave men, exerted
themselves to rally their flying fellow-citizens. To the Gond con-
great honour of the Baltimore volunteers, composed of^,"^'y°^j
uniformed companies, and embracing much personal re- more vo-
spectability, with a high sense of military pride and ho- ""^**'"®-

* These are the words of General Armstronjf, ascribed by him to
the " LITTLE MAN."

78^} MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, nour, they resisted the inglorious example, and maintain-
^^^' ed their grouiul, until finding themselves outflanked, ouU
numbered, and 7insnpporled by horse or foot, they also gave
way and retreated ; but this would not have happened, if
the regular troops had been posted on the left, Barney on
the right, and Smith's brigade had formed a second line
within supporting distance.
Descrlp. The enemy made the attack with their light brigade,
^'^^""kb*^^ 1500 strong,* the rigiit wing led by Colonel Brooke, or
the Bri- the Mth regiment, and the left by Colonel Thornton, of
*'*^' the 84th ; they crossed the bridge in disorder, and the

skirmishers advanced in loose order, and forced the bat-
tery and riflemen in h, U the rigiit wing formed in w, u,
and followed the skirmishers, through the corn-field, /),/),
and the orchard, q, q, and over the field, forward of the
tobacco house, k, Captain Dougherty formed in /, gave
a few fires, and retired with the rest of the troops ; and
the enemy pursued to the fence, 14, 14, whilst our troops
generally retreated by R, R, R. Major Pinkney, I un*^
derstand, was wounded near tlie central r, on tlie old
Georgetown road, by a random shot, whilst I'ctreating
deliberately. Colonel Thornton with the left wing push-
ed up the turnpike road, and was about to attack the 5th
regiment in flank, when it gave way ; there were a great
many commanders this day, and among them, not the
least discerning. Colonel Wadsworth, who, to avoid in-
terference with others, and render what service he could,
had prepared, and with a few hands brought forward two
field pieces, to t, t, on the turnpike, with intention to open
and maintain a retreating fire upon the column of the
enemy as they advanced, which, whilst his flanks were
secure, would undoubtedly liave retarr'ed, galled, and cut
them sensibly ; but after the first sl^ot, which will be
found in the under work of the bridge, his men intro-
duced the wrong end of the cartridge, and instead of
drawing it, to get it out, they depressed tlie muzzle of

* See Appendix, Xo. XIX-

GENERAL WILKINSON. 785

the piece, until tlio trail and whecJs overturned, and by chap.
tliis time tlic enemy was so near as to oblige them to ilce '^^*'
lor safety. Seeing the troops on his right give way, Co- ^^j^^^^
lonel I'hoiiiton advanced, crossed the conduit, and ascend- of CoIomI
ed the opposile side oC the ravine ; but was so warmly re- *'^'^"^^"-
ceived by .Commodore Barney's battery of three 18 pound-
ers at 4, that after some pause and fluctuation, he turned to
his left, and displayed in a field in 3, 2, where he for a few
rounds combated a valorous little band of the marine cor^ts^
commanded by Captain Miller, with three 12 pounders, ,
in 3, and the flotilla men of Commodore Barney, in 5, 5, Conductoi"
which forced him to incline to his left, and endeavour to ^'""■^"-

uore Bar-
turn the American right by a wood, in 2, 2, 2, 2, where ney, Cap-

hc was met by Colonel Beall, who was formed under igr"j^^['
the summit of a conical hill, in 6, 6; and to do justice ^iieir
to this respectable, virtuous citizen and distinguished ve-
teran of the revolution, I shall quote his own short ac-
count as the best evidence of his conduct. " I reach- Colonel
cd Bladensburgh," says the Colonel, " after a very ra- ^^^'^'^

o ' J ' -^ statement

pid march in a sultry day, between 11 and 12 o'clock, quoted,
and I was hastily shown a very handsome height *"||jyct
for a gentleman's country seat, to view the country
around, but not a position for militia to defend against a
veteran foe, because from the steepness of the hill, the
bayonets must have almost touched, before the opposite
lines coidd sec each other ; this obliged me to descend the
side of the hill, towards the turnpike, where 1 first form-
ed, and received the fire of the enemy at less than 100
yards, which I returned and exchanged from four to si.v
rounds, and retired towards the summit of the hill, from
whence I again filed ; 1 then fell back to the opposite
side of the hill, and fired on the enemy, as he gained
tiic top of it, and from this point my retreat was final.
I do not say some of my men did not retreat too soon,
but what number they were I know not. The men who
buried the dead of the enemy say tliat near the ground I
occupied sixteen wore killed, and I think my loss was
vOi.. T. 5 G

786 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, four. The Adjutant of the first regiment of Columbia
^^^h. militia, says the flotilla men and his regiment retreated
to the city together ; and he returned and met me at the
turnpike gate. You know I am no child of ambition or
pretender to office, but thus much I thought due to an old
brother officer, to which I will beg leave to add the follow-
ing extracts of letters from Mr. John E. Howard, of the
Gth Sept. and 8th Nov. 1814."

« Baltimore, 6th Sept. 1814.

" On my return to-day from the Potowmack, I have
seen for the first time, Commodore Barney's report i)f
the affair at Bladensburgh, in which he complains of not
being supported by the troops on the hill forming the se-
cond line of General Winder's army. As I have always
understood that you commanded that line, and as I am
not personally known to you, I think it proper, in the
probability of its being of any service, to state to you,
that I was the person who delivered to you the order
from General Winder to retreat, to avoid being outflank-
ed and cut off. I acted as an aid to the General : I had
not finished repeating the order, when the enemy opened
a fire from the wood in front. I feel prompted to address
you, from accidentally witnessing your conduct in the
rear of the retreating a^my, when you drew a line across
the road, and rallied and formed your men in regular
order, before they were permitted to march on."

« 8th JVovembeVf 1814.

« I know very little of the arrangement of the different
corps, and was utterly ignorant of Commodore Barney's
station until some days after the battle. General Winder
was in the rear of the 5th Baltimore regiment, when he told
me to order the troops on the hill to i*etreat, on the road
to Washington, or they would be outflanked and cut off.
When I crossed the road (which was some distance from
the orchard, to avoid thr enemy) it was full of artillery
wagons and pieces in full retreat. I a] prehended that
the order I delivered to you, was the first you had to re-
treat, and I perfectly recollect your reply, *< Does Gene-

GENERAL WILKINSON. 7^7

ral Winder order me to retreat befoul wc have fired a shntj r map.
and the men in iierject order ?^^ and while n^pcutiug the ^^ '
order, the enemy began to fire from the wood which was
in front of your right wing."

The young gentleman who is the author of these ex- Mr. j p..
tracts is unknown to me. His father, Colonel Howard, 'nT^"''
was distinguished in the revolutionary war, particularly pl-ncc at
hy turning the tide of battle at the Cowpens, a brilliant at- of^jle*"^
fair, of which I have the details from that venerable pa- Cowpens.
triot and soldier, General Andrew Pickens of South Ca-
rolina, who brouglit on the action with his militia^ and
I should delight to speak of that close, decisive combat,
and contrast it with the vauntings of the present times,
did the compass of these memoirs permit. Mr. How-
ard's character guarantees the candour of his statement,
and the manly independence with which he testifies to
the good conduc-t of a veteran, who fought by the side of
liis father, does honoiu' to his heart.

When General Winder saw the first line so easily rout-
ed, without adverting to the primary cause, the example
of the President, and believing the whole force of the ene- •

my had been brought into action, it was natural he should
become solicitous for the safety of his rear ; yet I consi- Remarks
der the order for the retreat unfortunate, because of my ^^ ^*1^ °'"-

* der for rc-

confidence in the materials which composed what was treat.
called the second line; Major Peter's command, consist-
ing of a company of well trained artillery, with Stull's
and Davidson's companies of infantry, posted in 10, 11,
12, would have breasted any equal number, no matter of
w hat country or corps ; and if this detachment liad been
joined to the regular troops under Licutenant-ct)lonol
Scott, who impatiently expected tiie enemy, having
changed his front and advanced to meet them, in 9, 9,
the exhausted Britojis must have surrendered in a few-
minutes, or been dispersed and captured ; and if Magru-
der's regiment, 8, had been pushed forward, passed Com-
modore Barney's battery, wheeled to the right, and tak-
en Colonel Thornton in flank and rear, he wpuld have

788 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, shared the fate of the right wing ; whilst Colonel Brent's
regiment, in 13, held in reserve, could have co-operated
to the right or left, if necessary.

There is no doubt that in this affair, the enemy re-
ceived the most essential injury from Commodore Bar-
ney with his gallant tars, and Major Miller with his
handful of marines, who bore the marks of their valour,
Reference as the annexed return will show,* which is the only one

to the loss
of the ma-
rine corps * Return of the detachment of Marines on the field of Bladens-
and the b^j. h.

enemy. Captains, - - 2

Lieutenants, . • . 4

Sergeants, - - (>

Corporals, - - ^

Music, . - 6

Privates, - - 78

Total, 103

Memoeasdcji — Of the above 8 Privates were killed, and
3 Captains, ^v
1 Serjeant, f

^ ^ , V WOUSDET).

1 Corporal, i
9 Privates, j

Total, 21

Names of the officers engaged.
Captain Miller, Wounded.

Sevier, ditto.

Lieutenant Richardson,

. Nicoll,

Lord,

— — — Brooke.

British Return of the killed and wounded in the action of the 24lli
of August, 1S14, near Bladensburj^h.

Killed.
Captains, . . l

Lieutenants,

-

o

Sergeants,

-

5

Rank and File,

-

56

Total,

, C'i

GENERAL WILKINSON. 789

1 liavc been able to prnnire ; and to it, r»r the satisfac- f,MM».
tioii of my readers, I will add the return of the killed and -''^'•
wounded of the enemy, which will settle a Cf)ntroverted
point, and show what execution was done by the few men
wI)o fought; from whence we may fairly deduce what
would have been the clTfCt, if one third of tlie troops haij
been permitted to discharge their duty as faithfully.

Whatever may have been the disorder of tiic retreat
on the left, it is believed that the troops on the right, in
general, retreated in good order, and 1 have no doulit
Colonel Beall brought up the rear. Indeed, there was no .
occasion for hurry, because the enemy were exiiausted,
and did not pursue, as is manifest from the official letters
of General Ross and Admiral Cockburn. It was a re-
luctant retreat, and ihe General and troops conPidently
expected to halt, and wait for llie enemy in a different po-
sition ; but long before they reached the strong ground
cast of the capital, the Commander in Chief liad abdi- Tlie Pr/?-
cated his palace, fled across the Potowmack, and soujrht ^'clent

^ nies from

an asjlum among the hdls, west of the great falls ; and the copi-
having entirely iietrlected the defence of the navy yard, *=''~^'i^ ,
which required little labour and less skill, (/o save it /set on fire.
presume from the pollution of the cnemij,) he directed
it to be set on fire; indeed, such v. as the panic terror

W(

JtJNnrD.

Lieutenant-colonels,

2

Majors,

-

1

Captains,

-

1

Lieutenants,

-

It

Ensigns,

.

0

Sergeants,

-

10

IJank and File,

-

155

Total, 1S5

Total of kiUeil and wountleil, 2i9
MKMtinAXDVK. — ID liO'ses killed, aiul 8 wouni^e d.

'90

MEMOIRS BY

CHAP.
XVI.

son's ad-
vice re-
member-
ed.

Order for
tl}e re-
treat to
the

heights of
George-
town.

which liad seized on him, that he ordered the sloop of
war Argus, lying in the stream, to be burnt also.*

Yet his representatives still kept the ground, to su-
perintend the conduct of General Winder and tl»e
troops ; aiid at this late hour it was discovered, that
if the advice I liad endeavoured to convey to the Pre-
sident, by General Mason and Mr. Carroll forty-five
days before, had been seasonably attended to, two mil-
lions of dollars and the national honour would have
been saved : the mantle of infallibility, in which the ca-
binet had been clothed, was now rent, and ministers
began to view things through the medium of common
sense. It was not too late to think of the defence of the
capital, but it was too late to effect that object, and the
next best thing thought of was to continue the retreat
still further I and accordingly. Colonel Monroe and Ge-
neral Armstrong advised General Winder to retire, and
rally the troops upon the heights of Georgetown : by this
decision of the representatives of the cabinet, the armed
citizens of the district, the militia, the marines, the flo-
tilla men, and the regular troops, with 600 gallant
Virginia volunteers, under Colonel Minor, making a
force of more than 4000 combatants, were commanded
to abandon to a ruthless enemy, not only the seat of em-
pire, but the houses, the property, the wives, and the chil-
dren of the citizens. The order was received " with an
anguish heijond the power of language to express.'" j That
regularity of niovemQ^it which had been previously ob-
served was destroyed, the troops gave themselves up to
the uncontrollable feelings, which fatigue, exhaustion, pri-
vation, disappointment, and despair, will ajways pro-

* It is related of a Danish squadron, which, during the seven years'
war, had cast anchor in the Bay of Colberg, two leagues from the
coast, on perceiving a Prussian coUimn moving towards the sea-
shore, instinctively weighed anchor and sailed away. The cases are
not precisely parallel, but this instance of panic terror, may be of-
liered as an apology for President Madison.

•j- See the Information of Brigadier-general Smith to the Commit-
tee of Congress ; yet it is believed the circumstances of the moment
justified this measure.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 79!

ducc, and President Madison's army was in effect dis- crjAP,
solved. ' ^ ^^'•

Tlic enemy havinc: refreshed themselves at Bladcns- ..

•' - '-' K.iiemy en-

bur£;Ii,* moved on towards the city, wliich tliey entered ter» the
witli about 200 men, and so complete was the conquest, ^''P'^^^-
that when this party withdrew to their camp at two miles
distance, a single centinci, wlio had been accidentally
left on post near the office of the National Intelligencer,
kept undisturbed possession of the centi-al part of the
metropolis until the next morning, of which there are
several living witnesses. But the conquerors abused
their victory,! and the Gothic outrages which ensued,
like those at Hampton, though of a different character,
were received witli abhorrence by the civilised woild.
The following observations on this subject are extracted
from the Annual Register of 1814, in which an able and
candid distinction is taken between legitimate and vin-
dictive warfare, between savage animosity and civilised
hostility; and it is published in justice to the people of
Great Britain,- to whom President Madison owes the
treaty of Ghent, rather than to the disposition of the
British government,:}: or his own imbecile pusillanimous
conduct.

* See Appendix, No. XIX. f See Ibid.

4 I have received tlie following anecdote from a respectable cha-
racter, and the sudden relaxation of the tone of the British commis-
sioners, seems to favour its authenticity:

" Pending the neg;otiations at'Ghent in 1814, the high tone of the
T?ritish commissioners was prescribed purposely to prevent a pacifi-
cation; and the Prince Regent addressing the Marquis Wellesley,
expressed himself to the following effect: — "The United States
made war upon me wantonly, for which they deserve punishment,
and I possess the power and feel the disposition to inflict it ; now can
you form an administration able and willing to support my measures i"
The Marquis took lime tor inquiry, and in a few days reported to his
master, that "neither liie manufacturing nor landed interests could
be brought tosispport his views, tiiat the grounds of the war being
abandoned by those who made it, the causes of justifi^ible hostility had
ceased, and the voice of the nation was for peace." In consequence
of this commtmication, the instructions of the British commissioners
were modilied, ;ind a peace was unexpectedly and suddenly con-
cluded on terms which had been scouted by "sine-qua-nons "

793 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. « By the capture of Washington, the American go-
XVI. vcrument not only sustained a severe loss in property,
Extract '^"^ incurred much reproach from the nation, especially
iiom iiie from the party adverse to the war, as having been the
Re^isUr occaslou of a disgrace, which it had taken no effectual
nieasuics to prevent. A vulnerable part of the republic
was now exposed, and men's minds were impressed with
a sense of imminent danger, where before it had been
regarded only as a remote jiossibility. On the other hand,
it canniit be concealed, that the extent of devastation
practised by the victors, brought a heavy censure upon
the British charjicter, not only in America, but on tlic
continent of Europe. It is acknowledged that stnct dis-
cipline was observed, while the troops were in possession
of Washington, and private property was anxiously pro-
tected j but the destruction not only of every establish-
ment connected with war, but of edifices consecrated to
the purposes of civil government, and affording speci-
mens of the advance of the fine arts among a rising peo-
ple, was thought an indulgence of animosity more suita-
ble to the times of barbarism, than to an age, and nation,
in which hostility is softened by sentiments of generosity
and civilised policy.

« If there be such a thing as humanised war, its princi-
ple must consist in inflicting no other evils upon an enemy
than are necessary to promote the success of warlike
operations. This indeed may be construed so as to admit
of a wide sco})e of mischief, and it will scarcely be pos-
sible to draw t!ie line between allowable and illicit injury.
But there are cases in which no ambiguity exists, and
those of the destruction of useful or ornamental works,
tlie purpose t)f which is altogether pacific, seem to be of
this kind. History presents many instances of the hostile
conflagration of palaces, which have seldom failed to be
reprobated as acts of unnmnly vengeance. Retaliation
imlecd has usually been the pretext for hostilities exceed-
ing the prescribed measure; and in the present case the
rxci's.sis commiticd !|y t'lc Americans in their invasion

GENERAL WILKINSON. 793

of Canada have been made the apolojijy Tor the dcvasta- cukp.
tions at Washi)igton. l?iit it has appeared in tlie prccedini:; ^^ '•
narrative that due retribution had already been iullictcd
for those enormities, with the promise that the punish-
ment should not be carried further without fresh jtrovti-
ration. If the matter he considered in a simply political
light, it can scarcely be thought desirable that unneces-
sary severities should be practised, which must leave a
deep ant! durable resentment in the bosoms of a people,
with whom the restoration of the relations of peace and
amity is so much to be wished."

The public indienation excited by the catastrophe was Theciii-

zens of
diverted from its author, by the headlong passions of in- ii,edis-

dividuals, and the corrupt and selfish interests of party, 'J''^^ °^.
which have poisoned the fountain of public virtue, and improper-
shaken the constitution to its base : and President Madi- ^>""*"'''

' eu.

son was suffered to escape audible censure whilst the citi-
zens of the district were scandalised by their country,
and they in turn seemed to content themselves in levelling
their denunciations at the Secretary of War, who cer-
tainly was nothing more than the instrument of the exe-
cutive, to whom alone he was responsible. This servile
courtesy, and misapplied denunciation, has become too
common, and it augurs ill for the republic ; but I, who
was a witness to the solicitude, zeal, and patriotism of
the citizens of the district, who reside in Washington
and Georgetown, know that their purses, personal ser-
vices, and lives, were ready for the defence of their
wives, their children, and the honour of their country ;
and left to themselves, they would have saved the city ;
but they were discouraged, discountenanced, and con-
trolled by President Madison. The inhabitants too, of
Alexandria, were hastily, intemperately, and unjustly
censured, because tliey would not, in complaisance to the
President, put torches to their houses after he had with-
drawn all protection from them ; and yet if we recur to
the principles on which the revolution was bottomed, we
shall find that allegiance and protection were considered
VOL. I. 5 H

7'94j memoirs by

CHAP, reciprocal. Then let it be remembered so long as the
^ walls )f the ronflagratfd edifice shail endure, that James

Madison, Fireside nt of the United Stutos, after having
by his improvidence and criininal negligence^ invited the
enemy to attack the national capital, preferring an in-
glorious existence to ati honourable death, at the first
dawn of danger, sought a place of security, and, with-
out resistance, abandoned it to its fate.

It was my intention to accompany General Ross in his
retreat, but it furnished neither interest nor variety ; I
should also l.ave willing!y pourtrayed the operations be-
fore Baltimore, but it was in vain I sought for the neces-
sary information ; the result of that affair, however, was
the most auspicious which could have happened ; yet the
danger having ceased, the officer commanding. General
\ Samuel Smith, was insulted for his services by the Bla-
dcnsburgh fugitive, and was, 1 understand, censured by
some of his fellow citizens, for nnt courting a general
action with the enemy. Rash, inconsiderate, ungrateful
reflection ! What! slake the best blood, the fortune, the
talents, the virtues and the hopes of a polished commu-
nity, against a band of mercenaries, save in the last exr
tremity ! ! ! Barbarous thought I to what a dreadful alter-
native did it tend, wheie victory would have pierced the
hearts of wives, mothers, sisters, and all the tenderest
relations of life, with unalterable wo, and covered with
sackcloth the city it had saved. No ! the military nraxim,
whicii recommends a golden bridge for the escape of the
enemy, was never more strictly applicable than in this
case; and the inhabitants of Baltimore should render
thanks to the Almighty, for saving thorn from the com-
mand of a vain-glorious, rash desperado, whose mili-
tary knowledge, when taken in gross, would form but
the requisite fund for a regimental Adjutant, who would,
without a pang of remorse, have sacrificed half the youth
of the city, to have stuck another unmerited plume in
his crest.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 79j

The defence of Fort M«Henry was of no ordinary cha- CfiAP.
ractcr, for the passive resistance of danger is the test of ^^'•
valour; it was sustained with firm, manly resolution,
and the merits of Major Armistead, who commaiided
there, on that and other occasions, combined with his
long services, and his intrinsic excellence as an officer,
^gave him an indisputable right to preference over many,
whom it suited the sinister policy of General Scott to
retain in service ; but it was Armistead's misfortune to
have commanded this military phenomenoiif and of course
/te could not b& a Jit subject for promotion.

796 . MEMOIRS BY

CHAPTER XVII

Vindication of the Character and Conduct of a late Com-
mandcr in Chief!, against a calumnious paragraph in the
Biographical Sketch of Brevet-Major-General WinfeUl
Scott.

CHAP. rj^jjj. subject of this Chapter is an unwelcome one,

XVII.

.^r-v^*^ because it is altogether personal, and can no otherwise
interest the reader, than as it may excite his sympathy
for tiic wrongs of a fellow man. It has been forced upon
me by wanton and injurious aspersions, designed to gra-
tify the malice, and indulge the vanity of an arch im-
postor ; I therefore trust, that in exercising an unaliena-
ble sight, my conduct may receive the approbation of
honourable men, and be justified by meek eyed charity
herself j but were the world united against me, I should
pursue niy purpose without hesitation, because self-de-
fence is a paramount obligation, to which all others must
yield, and whatever may be the impressions of the mo-
ment, the grave will soon silence personal animosities,
and then the truths recorded by my pen, shall dissipate
the mists of prejudice, and become a source of honest
pride to my posterity.

It is a matter of fact, that the imbecile, temporising,
vaccilating measures of President Madison, during the
late war, had, towards the close of it, so sensibly im-
paired the public confidence, that very many of the best
men of all parties, and among them some of his personal
friends, anxiously desired his abdication of office ; but
as his well known sel/ishncss and obstinacy of disposition
opposed insuperable bars to so desirable an event, it be-
came indispensable to the support of the cabinet, that some
plan should be devised to beguile popular feelings and
cheat the judgment, in order to arrest the progress of

GENERAL WILKINSON.

797

public sentiment which tended to unnerve all the opera- cn.\i».
lions of the administration; to effect so salutary n i^uv- >^vii.
pose, a veil of delusion must be spread before the people,
the end would consecrate the means, and resort was had to
intrigue and hypocrisy, the instruments of corruption
and universal agents of courts ; a system of misrepre-
sentation, puffing, and exaggeration, ensued, which
abashed decorum and put shame to the LJush ; every little
advantage was swollen into a ** signal victory ;^* officers
without the ordinary attributes of integrity, or the small-
est claim to military science or the art of war; nay, who
were ignorant of the first duties of a soldier, w ere sudden-
ly converted into GREAT CAPTAINS, and inflated
with the dignified appellations of "ILLUSTRIOUS
HEROES ;" and the veterans of Wellington were beaten
at Chippewa and Bridgcwater, before a man of them
was brouglit into action.* The presses groaned under
biographical sketches of living cliaracters, in which a
profusion of genius, taste, talent and elegance, was dis-
played. These works of fancy found a ready sale in the
credulity of an honest community; the artists multiplied,
and the commodity was increased, until the market was
overstocked, when they were offered at wholesale "pour
nn ricnJ'' Amongst tlie knights errant who figure in
these romances. Major-general Winficid Scott, with a
ferocious aspect, is assigned a conspicuous place ; and if
he had been content to "wear his blushing honours,"
without attempting to pollute my humble reputation, with
atrocious calumnies which aggravate antecedent wrongs,
I should have been saved the painful task now iinposed
on me.

In the biographical sketch of this dignitary, recorded
in the Analcctic Magazine for December 1814, at a time
wjjcn I was suffering under a cruel persecution, in the

* The Marquis of Twcedale had been an aiil-de-camp of the Duke
of Wellinglon In Spain, but was promoted, returned to England, and
from thence embarked for Q'lebcc. The 6tli and 8M were the first
of Wellinfjton's troops enj^aped, and these were not brought into
action before the siege of Fort Erie,

798 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, origin of which I have cause to believe he had a chid"
XVII. agency, the reader will find the following paragraph :

"About this period, considering himself injured by
General Wilkinson, Captain Scott expressed himself
upon the subject, with freedom and boldness. The com-
manding General did not think proper to overlook this
offence, and Captain Scott was arrested on the Missis-
sippi, where he w as then stationed, and brought to trial.
•wt have repeatedly heard his defence spoken of as admira-
blCi both for its eloquence and biting sarcasm ;* but the
court would not travel out of the record, to take cogni-
zance of the original wrong, nor admit of his plea of
justification. The law was considered as imperative. Cap-
tain Scott was accordingly found guilty (under the 5th
article of the rules and articles of war) of speaking with
contempt and disrespect of his commanding officer, and
was suspended for twelve months. He left the camp, fol-
lowed by the good wishes of every officer to whom he was
personally known ; every one saw that the sedition^ ifamj^
bad been committed by the Senate, and not by the Grac-
chiJ'

As no person could be so minutely acquainted with the
details referred to in this paragraph, as our illustrious
hero, and as no man is more capable of perverting facts
to his own advantage, or could be so much interested in
overstepping the bounds of truth and honour, which pre-
sent no obstacles to his course, I feel myself authorised
in ascribing the information, on which the preceding pa-
ragraph is founded, to the chief himself; which I shall
answer by a simple narrative of facts, to enable the world
to judge between a perfidious impostor and a man of ho-
nour.

In my route to New Orleans, in 1809, 1 called at Nor-
folk, to hurry the embarkation of a body of troops, as-
sembled at that place under the orders of Colonel A.
Parker, and destined to the 3Iissisippi. The corps had

• It ought to be published in honour of the man, and for the edifi-
cation of his admirers.

GENERAL WILKINSON.

799

liccn newly levied, and the relative rank of the subordi- cfiap
nate officers had not been settled, nor was I apprised of ^^|''
the dates of their respective appointments. In the distri-
bution of the companies to transports, the details belong-
ed to the commanding offi( ers of corps who were pre-
sent, and how it happened I have mo recollection, Cap-
tain Winfield Scott, of the light artillery, and Captain
James Banckhead, of the 6th regiment of infantry, with
their companies, were embarked on board the same ves-
sel ; and as it was indispensible there should be a senior
officer, to regulate the police and discipline, and preserve
the order of this detachment on its voyage, Captain
ISanckhead was named, surely with no design on my part,
to favour him, or to offend Captain Scott, because the
young gentlemen were botli strangers to me.

On my arrival at New Orleans, (it will be seen in the
next volume in what condition I found the troops.) I
was informed that Captain Scott, of the light artillery,
felt himself much aggrieved by the circumstance of
Banckhead's being placed in command on board the trans-
port ; and a few days after, when engaged in my office.
Captain Scott was announced, and I received him with
the respect due to his rank. I do not recollect to have
seen him but once before, and then only for five minutes.
lie was seated, appeared exceedingly confused, and at
length thus addressed himself to me. « It is probable.
General, you may have heard of my having written a
free letter* to you, in which, under a false impression, I
took liberties with you, which I now regret." I had re-
ceived no such letter, and interrupted him by observing,
" Tliat my ears were not open to informers, and that the
acknowledgment of an error, was all a liberal mind could
desire." I treated the Captain with delicacy, and yvith
his permission admonished him as to the course a subordi-
nate officer was bound to pursue, under the circumstance

• He had written a very abusive letter, I was afterwards informed,
^Yhich lie intended for me, but changcl his mind, and of coarse gave
no r.r.nsc of cffencn.

800 MEMOmS BY

CHAP, of a su])i)osed or real injury from a superior. « Tl»at
^^'^- the application for redress, couched in respectful lan-
guage, should in t!ie first instance be preferred to the real
or supposed aggressor, and in case of neglect, or refusal
to render justice, then it would be proper to carry the
complaint to higher' authority, until he reached thefoim-
iain of justice^* shou]d it become necessary: that the vi-
tal principles of discipline forbade the individual to take
justice into his own hands, and that to relax this rule
wotdd level distinctions, and tear up military subordina-
tion at the roots ; that the grounds on which he might ad-
dress me, were free to the privates of his company in ad-
dressing him j that vicious precedents in military corps
were wi)olly inadmissible, because destructive of order,
and tliat correct example was the soul of service, as it
reached from the chief to the ranks, and influenced all
grades. Captain Scott acknowledged himself instruct-
ed, and thanked me for my admonition, and went on to
observe, " that he had entered the service on the spur of
the occasion, believing war to he inevitable, but with no
intention of devoting his time to military pursuits ; and
as the threatening storm had passed by, it was his deter-
mination to return to the practice of the law, in the study
of which lie had spent his fortune ; and he continued in
that strain of soft, persuasive, honied eloquence, rvkich
he can affect, when solicitous to deceive, that there existed
another obligation, which imperioiisly required his pre-
sence in Virginia, and that I might readily conceive
what delicacy forbade his mentioning it j and for these
reasons he requested me to accept the resignation of his
commission.'* I informed him that I was ready to in-
dulge his desire, but that I thought it would be unjust, af-
ter the expense he had been at in equipping himself with
uniform and arms, and the loss of time, that he should re-
turn home at his private expense ; that in the moment the

* It may be asked where this is ? I answer, it ought to be found
in the palace ; but, alas ! justice has been chased from her seat, and
selfish intrigues and siaister ambition have usurped her place.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 801

troops wove asscmblin,^, whatever might be the appear- chap.
anres of peace, I could not consistently indulge him with ^^"•
a furlough ; but that if he would ask one, and make his
resignation the alternative, I would gratify him, and re-
fer the case to the Secretary of War, which would ena-
ble him to draw pay for iiis expenses ; and after his ar-
rival at the seat of government, he might determine to
continue in service, or resume his profession, lie thank-
ed me, but professed his ignorance of the pai'ticular mode
of application; and I am strongly impressed with the be-
lief, that 1 drafted a lettef for liim, which he copied and
transmitted to me, and received a furlough for sixty or
ninety days.

A day or two after this transaction, Colonel A. Parker
of tl)e 5th regiment called on me, and enquired wl»ether
I had givpu Captain Scott leave of absence ; and on my
answiM'ing in (he affirmative, observed that he " hoped he
would be obliged to settle -with his men before his departure^ as
Ihey complained that he retained their pay in his hands,*' I
informed the Colonel that it was not my duty to search
into the accounts of my subordinate officers ; but that if
he would lodge a written complaint, the circumstances
should bo eii(]uircd into, after which I heard nothing more
fr;«ni the Col:)nel on the subject ; but before Captain
Scott sailed, he called on me, and requested to speak with
me in private. I well remember that I walked with him
on the gallery of my quarters ; and at this interview he
expressed himseif in the following language: *^ Preju-
dices against you. General, had been excited in my breast;
but yonr liberal conduct towards me has done them away,
and heiiccforivard I shall defend your character •whenever
it may become necessary." This voluntary declaration
was as ujinecessary as it was unexpected. I made
my acknowledgment v^th a bow, and being pressed by
business, we parted without further conversation. This
statement, if not verbally, is circumstantially correct,
and, in giving the details, my memory is refreshed by a
vor. I- 5 1

803 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP letter written on the subject to a friend, dated February
^^"' 10th, 1810, which is now before me.

It is material to the sequel of this narrative, to note in
this place, that Captain Scott, whilst in New Orleans,
]>acl a difference Mith Dr. Upshaw,* surgeon of the 5th
regiment, whom he challenged to single combat ; but the
Doctor being confined to his bed by a disease which
threatened his life, all he could do, was to promise Scott
a meeting when his health might permit. The Captain had
also an affair of honour about the same time, which pro-
duced a meeting with another higlily honourable gentle-
man of the faculty, Doctor Claude of Annapolis, in which,
I understand, the Captain, after delivering his fire, in or-
der to give a safe passage to his adversary's ball, suddenly
inclined his body to the earth, or, in another word, BOB-
BED ; and after erecting his crest, apologised. This
was the current report, and I never heard it contradict-
ed ; and there are persons who contend, that as no stipu-
lation forbade it, lie had a right even to prostrate himself
on the ground, as other famed duellists have done before
him, though it seems to be agreed, that the attitude is not
the most chivalrous.

Captain Scott left New Orleans in June, 1809, under
tlie general impression, justified by his solemn declara-
tions, that he would resign ; and the charge of his com-
pany devolved on Lieutenant John H. T. Estes, of Albe-
marle county, in Virginia, who soon after applied to me,
on the subject which Colonel Parker had before men-
tioned, and professed his readiness to substantiate the
claims of the men, whose money he said he knew Cap-
tain Scott had received ; but in the absence of the Cap-
tain there was no remedy for the men, except by refer-
ence to the war department,* and I did in tliat case what
I was bound by duty, by justice, and honour to do : I in-

* Tins gentleman was a near relation of that exalted character
and luminary of the law, Judge Roan, of Virginia. He was a man
of talents, with a heart warm, generous, sympathetic, sincere; ho-
nourablcj and fearless.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 803

foi'tncd Lieutenant Estcs, il" he would furnish me siu li chap.
written testimony as sliould satisfy my mind that tlie pre- ^^ "'
tensions of the soldiers wore just, I would transmit it to
the war department, and write the Secretary on the sub-
ject, in order that stoppages might he made from Captain
Scott, in the settlement of his accounts; and the Lieute-
nant accordingly addressed me the following letter, co-
vering the documents referred to.

(Copy.)
Camp, Tcrix au Bmif, July 9, ISIO.
Sir,

CAPTAIN WINFIELD SCOTT having left the
service of the United States, and I being the eldest offi-
cer, in his absence have had frequent applications from
the greater part of the men, now under my command,
for two months pay due them, to wit: September and
October, 1S08 ; wliich money I know tliat Captain Scott
received at Richmond, and has not accounted to the men
for; and herewith enclose a pay roll, made out by Cap-
tain W. Scott, for September and October, with the affi-
davit of the men present, that have not received their
money from him, for the abovementioned time ; and I do
certify, that the remarks made by me on the pay roll,
opposite their names, are accurate and just, to the best of
my knowledge.

I am. Sir, respectfully.

Your obedient servant, .
(Signed) JOHN H. T. ESTES.

General Wilkinson.

War Department, Jane 28, 1810.
I do hereby certify, that the foregoing is a true copy
from the original, on the files in this department.

LS. EDWARDS, Clerk.

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806 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, I certify, that the within pay roll exhibits a true

^^*'- state of the several sums due Captaio Colin Buckner's

company, agreeably to his muster rolls; and that the

whole amount due to 31st October, 1808, is three hundred

and fifty-seven dollars and forty-six cents.

(Signed) JA. S. SWEARINGEN,

Deputy Pay Master,

Fort J\MIenry, JVor. 10, 1808.
There is iiere a mistake in wi'iting Captain Buckner's
name for Captain Scott's. The amount stated to be due
• is exactly the amount of Captain Scott's pay roll.

War Department, JuneQ.8, 1810.
I do hereby certify, that the foregoing is a true copy
from the original, deposited in this department.

LS. EDWARDS, Clerk,

(COPY.)

AVe, the undersigned, non-commissioned officers,
musicians and privates, of Captain Winfield Scott's com-
pany, regiment light artillery, do solemnly swear, that
we have not received any pay from the United States, for
our services during the months of September and Octo-
ber, 1808; and that we have not signed, at anytime,
any receipt roll for our pay, for the months of September
and October, 1808.

(Signed)
John P. Pool,
George W. Smithson,
Alexander Gray,
James Roach,

Mordecai Burgess, Witness,

Thomas Gray, his x mark, W. S. Hamilton.

Robert Perkinson, his x mark, W. S. Hamilton.

Bartlctt Belcher, his X mark. W. S. Hamilton.

James Hardy, his x mark. W. S. Hamilton.

Bartholomew Crowder, his X mark, W. S. Hamilton.

/»V^

GENERAL WILKINSON. 807

Uanicl Lloyd, CjiAP.

Ephraitn Baird, Vn^^v^w

Hubbard W. Gill,

Jobn Madison, Witness,

John Davis, his X mark. W. S. Hamilton.

Pleasant Sproncc, his X mark. W. S. Hamilton.

Kicbard Daves,

Jeremiah Lucas, his X mark. W. S. Hamilton.

John Allen,

William Perkinson, his x mark. W. S. Hamilton.

G. Charman,

Skilos Bordcii,

Hamdon Hobbs, his ^ mark. W. S. Hamilton.

Thomas Williams, his x mark. W. S. Hamilton.

Levi Wilson, his X mark. W. S. Hamilton.

Thomas B. Morris, his >< jiiorA*. W. S. Hamilton.

Henry Rcinbard.

Sworn and subscribed to, before mc, at camp. Terra
au Boeuf, this 9th day of July, 1809.

(Signed) W. S. HAMILTON, 1st Lt. Sd Infantry,

Judge Jldvocaic.

War Department, June 28, 1810.
I do hereby certify, that the foregoing is a true copy
from the original, deposited in this department.

LS. EDWARDS, Clerk.

The aspect of these documents certainly could not but
excite my surprise and disgust, because the misapplica-
tion of the pay drawn for men under his immediate guar-
dianship, who looked to him for jjrotection, and were,
suft'cring exceedingly for the want of it, was too clearly
proven to be doubted ; and certainly tended to aflect
my confidence in him as a man of probity : and un-
der this well-founded impressioji, I recommended to tin'
Secretary of War the acceptance of his commission j in
this and in the transmittal of the papers, I could not be
biassed by personal aninjosity, because Captain Scott had

808 MEMOIRS BY

X CH\P. at parting: professed himself to be my friend, but I barely

^^^^ discharged my duty to the soldiery, who had been abused,

to my profession, and to my country ; and I never heard

more of those documents until June, 1810, when 1 found

occasion to demand a copy of them.

Captain Scott, on his arrival at the seat of ji^overn-
ment, contrived to liave his furlouj^h extended, and did
not join his company again until November or Decem-
ber ; a dreadful scene of mortality among the troops had
intervened, which must have swept off a considerable
number of his men. I had myself been reduced to the
verge of the grave, but had readied Washington in the
Missisippi territory with those who survived ; and at that
place Captain Scott presented himself to me, in great
perturbation, for he had exceeded tije extension of his
furlough, and appeared alarmed lest I should take advan-
tage of the lapse. I how^ever soon put his mind at ease
on that score, and he then mentioned to me, that, dur-
ing his absence, reports had been circulated injurious to
his reputation, and expressed great anxiety for an op-
portunity to vindicate his cliaracter. He proceeded to
ask my advice in respect to the course he should pursue,
and I made no hesitation to recommend to him a court of
enquiry, the ordinary procedure in such cases, which he
accordingly requested, and it was immediately granted.

it must be remembered, that Captain Scott and Dr.
Upshaw had differed in New Orleans, and the illness of
the latter only prevented an interview. Upshaw reco
vered his health some weeks after Captain Scott's depar-
ture, and on !»earingfrom Lieutenant Estes that the Cap-
tain had detained his men's pay, he spoke irreverently of
him, and proclaimed the transaction a robbery. I do not
recollect whether the Doctor interfered in the enquiry,
but after it was known that the court had reported cause
for investigation, by a general court martial, he pre-
sented charges against Captain Scott to the proper officer,
which being communicated to me, I urged tlie accuser,
most earnestly, to withdraw the charge, which involved

^v

GENERAL WILKINSON. 809

my name, but without effect, and if I had possessed the chap,
power, I should have coerced him ; because General ^^ "*
Hampton was hourly expected to relieve me from the ^"^^^^^^^
command, and I was sensible, if my reputation could be
affected by the intemperate abuse of a vain-i;lorious
coxcomb, without other character than that of a gam-
bler, it could not be sustained by the opinion of a gene-
ral court martial.

General Hampton's arrival, for which, by the bye, I
waited some weeks, released me from all agency or par-
ticipation in the trial of Captain Scott, although it was
in my power to have ap])ointcd a court, which would have
paid more respect to their own characters, to the laws of
decorum, and the principles of subordination, than to
have suffered my name to become the daily theme of the
prisoner's slanderous invectives.

On observing the offensive paragraph, which has pro-
duced this expositicm, I made application to A. J. Dal-
las, Esq. Secretary of War, ad interim, for a copy of the
trial, which had been thus perverted to eulogise General
Scott, and to stigmatise my cluiracter ; but it did not
comport with the justice of the Executive, to furnish the
man whom he had attempted mortally to injure, the means
of vindicating his innocence ; and after having served
my native country my whole life, I had the agonising
mortilic ation to ba refused, what [ considered a fair re-
quest, by a foreigner, and an advcriturer, who had reach-
ed these states posterior to the revolution; and by tiie
same hand, were many of the most meritorious otficers,
whose lives had been devoted to the country, dismissed its
service. 1 have however fortunately procured from an-
other source, certain facts respecting this trial of Captain
Scott, which may serve to expose tlie gross misrepresen-
tations, set forth in the ])aragraph which has been fabri-
cated to ornament his life at my expense.

The court of enquiry was I think held about the begin
ning of December, 1809; on the 18th of that month, I
surrendered the command to Brigadier-general Uamp-
YOt. I. 5 K

810 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, ton, and if my memory does not mislead me, the general
^^"' court martial, for the trial of Captain Scott, did not as-
semble until the 10th of January, 1810, before which
time the apple of discord had been thrown, and the corps
which I had left in harmony was distracted by personal
animosities. The public may be enabled to form a faint
idea of the merits of General Scott's biographical sketch,
when they are informed, that he was not arrested for his
abuse of General Wilkinson in consequence of a real or
supposed injury, but substantially on the following
charges, viz.

*< 1st. For drawing two months of his company's pay,
and withholding it from the men.

« 2d. For seditious and insubordinate language, re-
specting the commanding general, declaring, that if he
should go into the, field tcith him, he would carry one pistol
for his enemy, and one for his general."

I have no notes of the specifications, but according to
the regulations, the accuser was obliged to designate the
time and place of the menaced assassination, which I
have been informed was at Richmond in Virginia, in the
autumn of 1808, several months before I had ever seen
Captain Scott, and yet the paragraph modestly states
that the Captain considered himself injured by me.

By reference to the muster roll produced by Lieutenant
Estcs, and the depositions taken by the Judge Advocate,
Lieutenant Hamilton, it will appear that Captain Scott,
in the months of September and October, 1808, had poc-
ketted the pay of 36 men, of whom three had died, one
had deserted, and one had been discharged. And I have
not understood that out of this number, more than two were
called to give testimony on his trial, in support of the
1st charge — viz. James Roach, a corporal, and Hubbard
W. Gill, a private. These men, 1 have been advised,
swore positively, *< that their pay, for September and Oc-
tober, 1808, had been stopped by Captain Scott without
their direction, and they knew not wherefore, and that after
the court of enquiryt which had produced his arrest, and

GENERAL ^VILKINSON. 81 i

not before, liP -" '•(/ thtm the balance due to them, which he t;n.\p.

had detained in his hands more than fourteen months. 1
also understood that Captain Scott's plea lor the stop-
page of this money, was his purchase of certain necessa-
ries for his men ; but then Roach's pay received by the
Captain, appears from the muster roll to have been
S 12 83, which he swears the Captain detained from Sep-
tember and October, 1808, until after the court of en-
quiry, say December, 1809, for the security of a claim
of g2 50. In respect to that part of the 2d charge whicii
relates to tlie threat of assassination, the witness called
negatively justified it, though he was suflTered by the court
to evade the question, repeatedly put to him, by declaring
be could not « recollect time or place,** which was an indi-
rect admission of the fact, because if the words bad not
been uttered, conscience, honour, and justice, all enjoined
it on him, to acquit the prisoner, a brother officer, of a
foul and infamous charge which stained the garb he
wore.

But Captain Scott did not confine his Billingsgate
slanders to taverns and gambling tables. He was suffer-
ed to scandalise the court with the vilification of my cha-
racter, and even to engraft his abuse of me on his boasted
defence, which I should have done him the justice to pub-
lish, could I have procured a copy of it; and yet I so-
lemnly declare, I bad no part either in his arrest or prose-
cution, and in support of this declaration I will add an
extract, with which I have been recently furnished, from
Doctor Upshaw's rejoinder to Captain Scott*s famous de-
fence, the whole of which ought to be with the trial at the
war office. To those who knew the Doctor, whom the
grav45 has long since received, it would be unnecessary
to speak of his veracity, but to the stranger it may be
proper to say, it was not only unimpeached, but above
suspicion.

Extract from Dr. Upshaw*s Reply to Captain ScolVs De-
fence.

« Before I treat of the evidence, I have to do an act
of justice to General Wilkinson, by denying most poiut-

XVil.

812 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, edly, that this prosecution was (as represented by the pri-
"^^^^^^ soner) commenced at his instance, and I further affirm,
that he never saw the charges before the arrest, to my
knowledge."

<* I now conclude my imperfect reply to the prisoner's
long and learned defence, and have to regret that the per-
formance of some professional duties on yesterday, de-
prived me of the necessary time to arrange and adjust
my thoughts in such a way as to do justice to tlie prose-
cution and myself. I have one more remark to make to
the court, and 1 have done ; in every part of this trial
the prisoner has indulged himself in the bitterest invec-
tive against General Wilkinson ; he has even embodied
it in his defence, and it is spread on your records. Let
it be recollected, General Wilkinson wears the sword of
Ills country j that he has spent more than twenty-five
years in its service ; that he fought the battles of his
country before the prisoner had quitted the arms of his
inirse, and by his talents and his valour assisted to
atchieve the liberty this young man now wantonly and
wickedly abuseth. «* We are to esteem every man innocent
before he is found guilty." This is the language of the
prisoner, yet how shamefully does he abuse tlie doc-
trine ?"

It is a matter of justice to General Scott to state, what
I have understood to be the sentence of the court, and if
it be incorrect, the war office is open to him, though shut
against me, viz.

« After due deliberation, &c. the Court finds the pri-
soner guilty of the first charge, but acquit him of frau-
dulent intentions,* and of tlie second charge in speaking
disrespectfully of the commanding General, but not of
the words charged, and sentence him to one year's sus-
pension from rank, pay, and emoluments."

• Yet he was convicted of drawing' and detaining his company's
money, whilst he left the men on the Missisippi, and hinnself return-
ed to the Atlantic states wiili the professed intention to resip^n ; and
before he a^ain joined his company, many of the men died, probably

for the want of the money lio had improperly detained.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 813

The reader will observe tliat this sentence cmbraros chap.
llic third degree of military punishments, but it will be '^'^ "
obvious to him, that the prisoner merited the first, and if
the trial had been Judicially conductwl, J»e certainly
M'ould have received the second. The trial was followed
by a duel between Captain Scott and Dr. Upshaw, on the
invitation of the former, who, as in the affair with Dr.
Claude, came off second best. The meditated combat
became notorious over the country before the meeting,
which took place on the right bank of the Missisippi, op-
posite the city of Natchez, the western heights of which
were crowded by several hundred spectators, citizens and
oflBcers of the army, some of the former having rode
twenty miles to witness the tournament. But let it be re-
membered, that at the time I was divested of command
and authority, and I could produce testimony to show, I
did what I consistently could to prevent the meeting, in
which I was moved by a sense of duty, of justice, and
religion J which has impelled me, successfully, in more
than twenty instances, to promote explanations and pre-
vent the Gothic appeal ; but in this particular case, a
sentence of dishonour rested on Captain Scott, and Up-
shaw was crippled by the rheumatism, and scarcely able
to keep his feet, his trigger finger being swoln to almost
double size ; but he recurred to the old engagement at
New Orleans, and felt himself bound to meet the chal-
lenger; and in regulating the ceremonials to be observ-
ed at the interview, the Doctor, I was informed, expressly
stipulated that there was to be no « duckingf bobbing, or
dodging,**

I heard nothing more of Captain Scott until he ap-
peared as Judge Advocate on the trial of Colonel Cush-
ing, in which case he is lavishly complimented for his re-
joinder to the Colonel's defence; I have never seen this
invective, for such I am assured it is, and therefore can
ofter no opinion of its merits; but when a judge advocate
travels out of the line of his duty, and descends to torturo.
or distort the law or the evidence, for the conviction of an}

8J4! MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, man, much less a respectable and abused brother in arms,
■^^ ^^' he enters the lists of persecution, overleaps tlie bounds
of humanity, and betrays other motives than a respect
for his station and a love of justice. Colonel Gushing
had been persecuted by General Hampton, with a degree
of cruelty and despotism,* which would have disgraced
any man, but a driver of the ill-fated Helot; and Presi-
dent Madison and his Secretary of War Eustis, contem-
plated the wanton outrage on human rights and the writ-
ten law, with an indifference for which they both merited
tiie reprobation of every friend of civil liberty or military
justice. It was Colonel Cushing's fault to be my friend,
because I was poor ; it was his misfortune to have Gene-
ral Hampton for a persecutor, because he was rich ; and
as to Captain Scott, whether he had transferred his ha-
tred of myself to my friend, or was subsidised by Hamp-
ton, after the consumption of his fortune on his law edu'
catioUf is a matter of little import ; since, by lending his
assistance to the iron hand of usurpation, for the oppres-
sion of the war-worn veteran, who h ml fought SLn(\ hied in
the cause of his country, he devoted all the feelings of
the heart to vengeance and venality.

When I was ordered to the Mississippi in 1812, Cap-
tain Scott left that country with his patron General
Hampton, and arriving at the seat of government, his
seditious conduct in the abuse of the senior officer of the
nrmyf and the dishonourable misapplication of the pay of
his men, recommended him so strongly to the patronage of
President Madison and his Secretary Eustis, that they no-
minated him to a Lieutenant-colonelcy of Jlrtillery, over
many older and better officers, who had served their coun-
try ten and fifteen years, for at that time Scott did not
imderstand the axis from the visual range of a gun ', in-

* Tlie exposllion of the illegal and barbarian treatment of Colonel
Ciishing, which was before President Madison and Doctor Eustis,
wovild at this day excite emotions of horror throughout the commu-
nity ; and yet General Scott is eulogised for joining in the persecu-
tion of this virtuous citizen, and meritgrious veteran of the revolu-
tion. O tempora ! O mores !

GENERAL WILKINSON.

819

deed I doubt whether he could take the distinction now ; chap.
but that illustrious body, the senate of tlicse states, the ^^"•
sheet anchor of tlic constitution, ventured, as tliey do ^^*^
sometimes, and, with humility I think, ought to do more
frequently, to question the Presidential infallibility, in the
nominiition of this son of sedition ; for they had heard
something of his conspicuous doings, and the distinguish-
ed honours he had received on the banks of the Mississip-
pi ; and it was to the exertions of my respected friend
Mr. Giles of Virginia, that he owed the confirmation of
Ins nomination ; and notwithstanding tlie impudent
ground of justification, which this full born son of Grac-
chus has set up in the biographical sketch of himself, he,
at that time, professed his sorrow for the liberties he had
taken with me, and pleaded the heat, inexperience and
imprudence of youth, to extenuate his sins j Mr. Giles,
in answer to certain objections which had been made to
the confirmation of Lieutenant-colonel Scott's nomina-
tion, took the ground of his youthful indiscretion, and
consciousness of the impropriety of his conduct, to pal-
liate the offences of Captain Scott, and reminded his
honourable associates of the uniform interest he had taken
in whatever related to my humble fortunes ; inferring
from thence that it must be impossible he should advocate
the cause of the Lieutenant-colonel, if he believed him
inimical to me ; this reasoning prevailed, and the nomi-
nation was confirmed. 1 had this little detail from Mr.
Giles, in my passage through Washington in 1813, on
my way to take the command of the army on the northern
frontier.

In the prosecution of my duty, as will be more parti-
cularly explained in the third volume of these memoirs.
I reached Fort George in Upper Canada the beginning of
September, in such ill health as to be confined to my bed
and apartment; a few days after my arrival, I was in-
formed by an oUicer of my family, that Colonel Scott
felt some delicacy in waiting on mc, as he did not
know how he would be received ; I replied that tlie dilfi-

816 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, culty was imaginary, and desired him to inform Colonel
^^"' Scott, he would be received with all the respect that was
due to his rank. The Colonel called on me the next day,
and found me sitting up ; he approached me with more
marked embarrassment than at New Orleans ; I arose,
gave him my hand, begged him to be seated, and, by the
nnafFected civility witi) which I received him, soon put
him at ease; after the ordinary inquiries. Colonel Scott
requested leave to enter into an explanation of past cir-
cumstatices, and was proceeding, but I interrupted him
by observing that explanation could do no good to either
of us, and it would be better to consign the past to obli-
vion j that we were entering upon an arduous service from
which our country expected much, and that it was our
duty to combine our efforts to fulfil those expectations; and
that he might rely on me for every attention, to which his
rank and services could give him a claim. I was ill at the
time, and therefore cannot charge my memory with par-
ticular expressions, but the preceding statement is sub-
stantially correct. Colonel Scott appeared satisfied with
his interview, and my subsequent conduct is the best
test of my sincerity.

Some days after this interview^, understanding that the
enemy's batteaux were secured in a creek about twelve
miles distant, under a weak guard, I spoke to Colonel
Scott on the subject; he credited the report, appeared toi
understand the topography of the country, and offered
his services, with a select detachment of 300 or 500 men,
to destroy them. It was an object of great moment to
the contemplated operations of the army to deprive the
enemy of water transport, as it would retard their move-
ment to the succour of their posts below ; I therefore
closed with the proposition, as my own transports were
not ready to receive the troops, and the squadron had
not arrived for our convoy down the lake. Colonel Scott,
selected his detachment, and embarked after night-fall, to
elude the observation of the enemy, whose left flank he
was obliged to pass. I understood this command excited

GENERAL WILKINSON. 817

the Jealousy and discontent of the senior Colonels, chap.
in the camp) who viewed it as a measure of urnlue ^vii.
partiality 5 and, in such cases, from the frailty and selfish-
ness of man's nature, the partizan will rarely carry with
him the henedictions of all who remain hehind ; a lempeat
arose in the night, the hoats were dispersed, and Colonel
Scott returned the next day, without being able to ac-
count for his detachment ; the discomfiture excited a camp
titter, and the Colonel presented himself to me, over-
whelmed with mortification; what was my condutt?
" There are tliose,''^ said I, ** who will exult in your dis-
appniiitmentf Colonel ; but never viind it ; you could vot
control the winds, and I wilt justify you." The enemy
had penetrated the intended movement, but had no idea
of its destination ; how capricious is man's fortune ; the
road to fame was now open to me ; I saw, and languish-
ed to tread it ; but my orders, reiterated orders, forbade
uie ; my force was competent to have destroyed De Rot-
tcnburgh ; my boats were ready ; we commanded the lake;
I could have siipt into his rear and demolished orcaptured
his division in twenty-four hours. It pleased the Almiglity
to direct o'berwise, and I am content with my destiny.
Contrary to my will, I was obliged to hold Fort George
instead of razing it, as I had determiJied; and all the
niisibrtunes on the western frontier of New York, which
ensued tlic next winter, was the consequence. It was a
fair presumption, that after the departure of the division,
the enemy might attempt to carry the place, in the expec-
tation it would be left with a weak garrison ; the trust
was of the first magnitude, and I selected Colonel Scott
for the command.

We parted, and my next interview with Die Colonel
was near Prescott, the evening before the troops past
that place, where I received an unexpected visit from hiu»;
the meeting will be described in the tiiird volume of these
luetaoirs; the expressions of my feelings were sincere;
but alas ! how were they returned ; my boat, my accom-
modations, my bed, were free to the gentleman ; and
next morning, when more dead than alive, from the
VOL. I. 5 L

818 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, fatigue and exposure of the preceding night, I gave
^^'^^- Colonel Scott, who had left his corps hehind him, an en-
viable command. We parted again, and I saw him no
more, until he entered my chamber at a Doctor Mann's,
on Salmon River, near the French Mills. He had ob-
tained a furlough, and was « going on to the seat of go-
vernment, to make arrangements for equipping and re-
cruiting his corps, preparatory to the ensuing campaign,
and to pass into Virginia to look after his private estate.^^
He pressed my feeble, helpless hand, and when I com-
plained of my hard fortune, he affected to pour balm into
my afflicted bosom, by assuring nie, that although his
relations with General Hampton, would prevent his say-
ing any thing against that ofiicer, « imj conduct should he
placed oil its proper ground, and that he should vindicate it
against censure.'^ There was no witness to this conver-
sation; but my physicians. Dr. Bull and Dr. Mann,
were privy to Colonel Scott's visit to me, in my chamber.
I forget whether my aid-de-camp Colonel Pinkney was
with me at the time, or whether he had been sent in pur-
suit of the fugitive Hampton, whom 1 had determined to
J arrest, ir consequence of the duplicity in which I had
detected Armstrong, by Hampton's betrayal of his letter*^
of November 15th, 1813.

With these professions on his lips, which the Father of
Heaven can witness were made to me by Colonel Scott, he
arrives at Albany, and there discovering that the Secre-
tary of War liad determined to make me the scape goat
for the failure of the campaign,! he yields to his secret
hatred of a man, whom he had too deeply injured ever to
forgivCf and forgetting my treatment of him, and his own
voluntary promises, he outstrips the perfidy displayed on
the Mississippi, and as I h^ye been informed and doveiily
believe, attempted in whispers to blast my character, by
imputing to me the beastly crime of drunkenness, at a
time when I laboured under a disease m iiich menaced my

• See Volume III. page 374.

I Sec tesUmony of Colonel King, Volume III. page 72.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 810

life, and would liavc confined almost any other man to f;H.\p,
his hod; hence, I have no douht, his ivlucl:incc to apiu'iu' ^^•
hetbrc the general Court Martial at Troy ; and notwith-
standing my earnest supplications, he was jjiotcrlrd
against the authority of the court, by avocations* trom
the war department, not of an urgent nature, which were
devised after it was known there that he was rcliud on as
a material witness in my case. I hope the author or au-
thors of this secret slander may still he dragged to the
light ; for myself, 1 can have no further claim on Presi-
dent Madison, but that the slanderers should he exposed
by way of warning to society; and Ihcy aic known to him,
if credit may be reposed in the following report, which is
imputed to the then Secretary of AVar, General Arm-
strong: « On the 19th of February, 1814, the Secretary
of War reported to the President, that he had some time
before received a communication, of which the paper en-
';losed and marked (A) was an extract, tliat sensible of
the delicacy* of military reputation, he was in no haste t(»
act upon it, nor even officially to sidjmit it to the Presi-
dent's inspection ; that the reason for that hesitancy was
now removed; that he had in two instances followed the
references made in the communication ; and that in both
the truth of the principal charge, drunkenness, had been
confirmed ; that a sense of duty compelled him to pro-
pose, that General Wilkinson be relieved from the com-
mand of the army and district, and that a court of inquiry
be instituted, as speedily as possible, for the purpose of
examining and deciding whether his conduct had or had
not been censurable during the last campaign.'*

This anticipation of a subject which will be treated at
large in the third volume of these Memoirs, is incidently
brought forward to jusitfy my suspicion of General Scott's
agency in my persecutions. It will be si-en in the cele-
brated report of the Secretary of War, of January 25th,
1814, that Colonel Scott contributed his mite of informa-
tion against me, for which he received the reward of a

♦ See Trial, Volume 111.

8^0 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, separate command, erected within my proper district,
■^^'^' aiii. in the firi ;et of charges produced against me, *(my
orders to Colonel Scott at Fort GeorgCf*' were made a ground
of crimination, which must have been furnished by him for
the purposCf but were afterwards discovered lo be t)0 ridi-
culous for grave consideration, and we,ve therefore omitted
in the second and third editions of those charges; and
DOW, to give the finishing touch to hypcxrisy, 1 am told
this spurious champignon, whose praise I must consider
censure, speaks of me with respect.

It may be proper in this place to remark, that the re-
port of General Armstrong exposes a trait in the admi-
nistration of the meek, candid, amiable and rirtuous
President Madison, well wortljy the attention of all,
who disapprove the dark deeds of despotic governments,
and more especially of military commanders, whose
standing and characters have become dependent on a ser-
vile acquiescence in the caprices and usurpatory acts of
the executive, through his minister of war; for it must
never be forgotten, tiiat during the reign of this Presi-
dent, an authorised system of Espionage was intntduced
into the American army, and secret informations were
invited and received from the corrupt, seditious, and in-
subordinate, who infest ai! armies ; tiius subjecting a
chief selected for a special command and a dire responsi-
bility, totiie calumnies of unfii^dgpd subalterns, whereby
public confidence is destroyed, the principles of subordi-
nation and discipline prostrated, the essential interests
of tlie service vitally injured, and the bands of justice
violated ; these are among the numerous misdeeds of
President Madison, of which his contemporaries aiid
posterity are to judge. The organ of his will has set forth,
that among my secret accusers there were "three of the
General officers vjhn had served under mc,*' of whom, if I
mistake not, one was perjured on my trial; another swore
roundly in my vindication : and the third, like Major-
general Scott, declined swearing or affirming at all.
Yet notwithstanding those high-sounding charges, neither
my conduct, nor my honour, could be affected.

. GENERAL WILKINSON. -gjH

Hero I shall leave this legitimate descendant of the rjiAp
Gracchi, a noisy democrat, a silent federalist, and a sub- ^^"
tie tyrant, who would sooner «' reign in hell than serve ^"^'"^'^^
in heaven," to the enjoyment of the rich bequests of his
adopted ancestry; and will intreat of the candid reader
to compare the injurious paragraph in the biographical
sketch of Major-general Winlield Scott, with tiie facts
set forth in these sheets ; by which he will be enabled to
decide impartially, titat the sedition on the Mississippi
was on the part of Gracchus, who not only threatened
and reviled the sciiate without provocation, but, to the
subversion of all order, endeavoured to seduce into sedi-
tion and disorder, those whose rights he pretended to
espouse; and in this manner he demonstrated his respect
for the principles and conduct of his preilecessors, with
whom nor iribuneSf nor senateSt nor vestal virgins, when
they interfered with their ambitions or sinister designs,
were for a moment safe ; and from the same sources the
following facts may be clearly ascertained, viz : Whf ther
General Wilkinson was vindictive or Captain Scott trea-
cherous ; whether the General's frankness was not return-
ed with hypocrisy, his kind offices with ingratitude, his
sincerity v>'ith deceit, and his magnanimity with per-
fidy.

SSS MEMOIRS BY

CHAP.
XVIII.

CHAPTER XVllI.

d Glance at the Militarij Services of Major Mien J\I*Lean,
tvith an Explanation of the Marquis de la Fayette's
Movement upon Barren Hill.

Turning from the disgusting subject of the last
Chapter, and leaving to courtiers and sycophants the
contemplation of modern biographical sketches, which
serve to cheat the understanding of honest men, to pam-
per the vanity of pretenders, and advance the ambitious
views of impostors, I will invite the reader to participate
the pleasures I enjoy, in rescuing from oblivion the ser-
vices of one revolutionary brother, and placing on its
true grounds the professional conduct of another, which
appears to have been imperfectly understood by the Ame-
rican biographer.

After the misfortunes of the campaign, the loss of Phi-
ladelphia, and the affair of Germantown in 1777, Gene-
ral Washington took a strong position at White Marsh,
thirteen miles from his antagonist, Sir William Howe ;
and about the first of December, after the junction of the
troops v;ho had conquered General Burgoyne, he found
himself in sufficient force to give Sir William battle,
should he be inclined to hazard a combat.

Having taken this position, it became necessary to the
safety of the American army, that a light corps of obser-
vation should be constituted to hang upon the enemy'3
front, under the conduct of an officer, who had been tried
and distinguished for activity, vigilance, valour, and dis-
cretion ; and General Washington conferred the signal
honour upon Captain Allen M'Lean, a native of Phila-
delphia, for whose command, a party of dragoons, and

GENERAL WILKINSON. ^

one hundred and fifty men, witli four subalterns,* were chap.
selected from the line of the army, in virtue of the ful- '*^^''>'
lovvinij General Older, viz : v^-v^sj

"The detachment of 150 men, for Captain M'Lcau's
command, to he furnished by Woodford's, Scott's 1st
Pennsylvania, 2d Pennsylvania, Poor's, Glover's, Lar-
ncd's, Patterson's, Wccdon's, Muhlenbei-g's, Maxwell's,
Conway's, Huntingdon's, and Varnum's brigades. The
dragoons by Major Clow."

With this detachment, the Commander in Cliief charged
Captain M<Lcan, with the arduous duty of watching the
movements of the enemy, and intercepting the commu-
nication of the city witli tlie country, between the Dela-
w^are and the Schuylkill rivers ; and he marched from
Head-Quarters on this service, the iStli of October, irrr,
under the following orders and instructions.

« Head- quarters, Oct. X'Zlh, 1777.
*'< To Allen M'Lean, Esquire, Commandant of a party

of observation —
« Sir,

« Your being acquainted with the country in tlif
neighbourhood of Pliiladelphia, will take post most ad-
vantageous for watching the enemy, sending out the ne-
cessary parties and patroles, for that end and your own
security ; you are to prevent, as far as possible, all in-
tercourse between Philadelphia and the country, suffer-
ing none to go to the city without passes given by the
autliority of the Commander in Chief; nor are you to
permit any person to come from the city, into the coun-
try, unless tiicy come out with an intention not to return:

•.Lieutenant Cass, of New Hampshire, a meritorious officer, who
served in the army which captured Burgoyne, with distinguished
bravery ; he rose to a Majority, resigned, and settled in the state of
Ohio, father of Governor Cass ; Lieutenant Dover, a respectable citi-
zen, living near Philadelphia; and Lieutenants Armstrong and Quin,
both gallant ofiicers, now dead.

824 MEMOIRS BY

CH\P. or are persons from whom material intellija;ence may be
XVIII. gained; and in the latter case you will send them on to
Head-Quarters, under the care of a dragoon ; you will
also endeavour to gain the best intelligence relative to the
enemy, and communicate the same to the Commander in
Chief.

« TIMOTHY PICKERING, Mj. Gen:'

GENERAL ORDERS.

<«No passes to be given to any one to go into Phila-
delphia, but by the Major-general of the day, who will
not grant them without due examination, and upon the
reasonable and necessary occasions.'*

Queries in writing from General Washington to Cap-
tain M«Lean, Commandant of a party of observation,

1777—

1st. "What number of troops supposed to be in General
Howe's army, and how disposed of?

2d. What works thrown up in and about the city, and
what cannon in them ?

Sd. Have any detachments been made over to Jersey,
and for what purpose ?

4th. How many men have they sent over there, and
how many pieces of cannon ?

5th. What kind of cannon, wisether only field pieces
or larger cannon ?

6th. What preparations are they making on the wa-
ter ? are they fitting out ships, gallies, fire rafts, or
floating batteries ?

7th. Do they think they can stay in Philadelphia if
their shipping cannot pass the forts ?

8th. Can you discover, whether they will attempt any
thing against the forts, and when ? Observe careful!/
the preparations making on the river and along the
wharves ; it is of groat importance to know the precis©
time, or as near it as possible.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 823

Dill. Is there any talk of leaving Philadelphia, and hy CH\i».
what route; observe carefully what they are doing wiih ^^ '"•
their wagons; whether their baggage is packed up, and ''"^'^^^^^^^
what directions their wagons receive ?

lOlh. Are the tories and friends of the British army
under much apprehension of their leaving the city ? and
what preparations are they making to remove themselves
or their effects ?

11th. For what purpose is it understood the bridge is
thrown over the njiddle ferry, and what force is kept on
the west side of the Schuylkill ?

12th. Has the bridge has been injured by the late storm,
or is it passable ?

13th. Where arc the grenadiers, light infantry, ami
rangers, and are they making any preparation to move?

Uth. What number of men arc sent over to Carpen-
ter's and Province islands, and how often are they re-
lieved ?

15th, In what condition are tliose banks since the lafe
rain ; can wagons and carriages pass so as to transport
provisions and stores from the ships to the city ?

16th. In what condition are the troops for provisions,
and of wliat articles is there the greatest scarcity ?

17th. How are the inhabitants situated for provisions?

18th. Wijat impression has the news of General Bur-
goyne's surrender made on the British army ?

19th. Is there any conversation in the British army,
or among the inhabitants, of General Howe's coming out
to meet General Washington ?

20th. Wliat is the British army employed about ?

21st. Does continental money rise or fall in value in
the city ?

22d. Can you learn whether there are any preparations
making, or any intentions to go up the Delaware, to
burn the frigates and vessels ?

2Sd. Find out what duty the soldiers do, and whether
they are contented ; how many nights in the week are
they in bed ?

vol. L 5 M

8S6 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. 24th. Inquire particularly into the treatment of the pri-
^^'"^- soners in the new jail, so that, if necessary, you can
make oath of it ?

25th. Do the enemy compel any of the prisoners to en-
list by starving or otherwise ill treating them ?

26th. Find out how far the redoubts between Delaware
and Schuylkill are apart, and whether they are connected
by lanes and abbatis.

Captain M*Lane exercised this critical, important,
and perilous command, until the beginning of January,
when General Washington found it necessary to send him
into the state of Delaware, to procure p.ovisions for his
starving army at Valley Forge, on which service the
Captain acquitted himself with his usual activity and
effect. He resumed his command before Philadelphia,
the 12th of April, where he continued until the enemy
evacuated that city, the 18th June, 1778. A detailed ac-
count of the rencontres and skirmishes in which he was
engaged, and the perils and hair-breadth escapes which
occurred during that period, would make a volume, but
my limits only permit me to notice a few of the more im-
portant instances, connected with other operations of the
war, in which his services were conspicuous.

Having received advice of a meditated movement of
the enemy, General Washington addressed to Captain
M*Lane the following letter :

t( JVovember 2Sth, 177?.
« Sir,

" I have certain information, that Lord Cornwallis
returned from Jersey yesterday, and 'tis said they intend
an attack upon the army, with their joint force, before
General Green can rejoin us ; I therefore depend upon
your keeping a good look out upon their lines, and gain-
ing every intelligence from people coming out of town,
that I may have the earliest notice of their movements or
intentions.

« I am, Sir,

« Your most obedient servant,

« GO : WASHINGTON."

GENERAL WILKINSON. 8^7

In consequence of this letter, M*Lanc adopted tlic ne <:u\v.
ccssary precautions to ascertain the desij^ns «)f tlio, cue- ^^"'•
my, and on tlic Sd of December he received sjitisCactory
information of a meditated movement against the Ameri-
can army, which lie communicated to the General, and
received the following answer :

« Captain A. M«Lane,
« Sir,

"His Excellency received your letter containing in-
telligence, and thanks youj he has only to request your
most active exertions in making the earliest discoveries
of the enemy's intention, and to give him notice.
"I am, Sir,

«* Your humble servant,

" R. K. MEADE, ^. D. C."

On the morning of the 4th December, a confidential
intelligencer advised the Captain, that the enemy were
getting ready to march out of the city the ensuing night,
with intention, it was said, to surprise the American
army. He immediately conveyed the intelligence to Ge-
neral Washington, and directed his men to repose them-
selves ; at night fall he marched down the Germantown
road, and disposed of his detachment on its flanks at the
four mile creek; about 10 o'clock P.M. his advanced
patrole apprised him of the approach of the enemy, and
he soon after heard the advanced guard, under Lord Corn-
wallis, and suffered it to come very near him, before he
delivered his fire, which being quickly repeated, and
briskly kept up, his Lordship halted and formed fiis lino
before he advanced ; M'Lane retired before him, and,
having instructed his detachment, man by man, for their
conduct, he hun^upon and harassed the head of the ene-
my's column until day break, when they reached Chcsnut
Hill ; and thus, by his vigilance, resolution, and perse-
verance, he retarded General Howe's march, and pre-
vented a night attack on General Washington's centre.

828 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. losiiii? on this occasion, a serccant and two men onlv,

XVIII CJ o .

^..^^J^ who were killed. I give from General Howe's order of
march, the several corps* which composed liis force on
this operation, from which military men may compute

"^ his strength. Tliis enterprise on the part of the British

General, betrayed great imbecility and irresolution,
whilst the conduct of General Washington manifested
that tranquil decision, which could not be discomposed.
The American right and centre were impracticable by
day, but the left might have been turned, which would
Lave compelled General Washington to change his front
or attack his adversary ; and from his known character,
it is well understood he would not have paused for a reso-
lution a moment, if Sir William had opened his own flank ;
but the wary British General manoeuvred and skirmished
occasionally from General Washington's centre to his
left until the 8th, and then precipitately retired to Phila-
delphia ; his own army humiliated by mortification and
disappointment, and that of the United States animated
with pride and self confidence. Captain M'Lane, after
accompanying the British General to ChesnutHill, made
a detour by his left, threw himself upon his rear, and
actually interrupted his free communication with Phila-
delphia, taking several prisoners.

As the spring opened, and the season for operations
approached, to put the men in exercise, and to approxi-
mate an elite corps to the enemy, General Washington

* Van guai'd under the command of Lieutenant-general the Fiarl
of Cornwallis — Two battalions of light infantry ; chasseurs dismount-
ed; British grenadiers; Hessian grenadiers; 4th brigade British;
two squadrons 16th dragoons; two medium twelves; two howitzers.

Under the command of His Excellency Lieutenant-general Knyp-
liausen — Regiment du corps; regiment of Donop; 1st brigade Bri-
tish; two light twelve pounders; brigade of guards; one squadron
16th light dragoons; 5lh and 27th regiments; two light twelves;
26th and 27th regiments ; 3d brigade ; two squadrons 17th light dra-
goons; hospital wagons; rum wagons; empty wagons; 2d battalion
71st regiment mounted chasseurs ; one squadron 17th light dragoons;
Queen's rangers on the right flank of the line of baggage.

GENERAL WILKINSON. gig

selected about 2400 of his best troops, and dctaclicd thcin ciiAP.
from his cantonment at the Valley Forge, across the '^^"••
Sclidjlkill, under the command of the Marquis de la ^'^'^'^**^
Fayette ; a young nobleman, admirjcd and beloved by the
whole ai'my, for his amiable disposition, his charming
irianners, great gallantry, and ardent attachment to the
cause of the country. In addition to the motives assign-
ed for this movement, it may, with plausibility at least,
be added, that this detachment was instructed, without
commitment, to seal up the intercourse between the city
and the country, and to harass the enemy by such enter-
prises, as occasions miglit invite and discretion warrant.
The Argus-eyed Mercury M<Lane, who had been sent
into the state of Delaware to levy contributions of pro-
visions in the course of the winter, having resumed his
station on the lines of the enemy, between the Delaware
and the Schuylkill, the Marquis, at four leagues distance,
might have slept in security, against the ruse de guerre of
the enemy, but he omitted no necessary precaution, and
arriving at Barren Hill Church* on the morning of the
18th of May, he addressed the following letter to Cap-
tain M<Lane :

« Tf'oods near Barren Hill Churchf

«< 9 o'clock Ji. M, ISth May, 1778.
«< Dear Sir,

" 1 have just now received your letter, and wish you
would come down immediately, that I might speak to you
of several things; inquire, if you please, if the people
think there will be a market to-morrow ? 1 wish also you
would see if some man to be depended on, and of credit
with the enemy, would undertake a visit to tlie city for
twelve guineas. Is it known towards the British lines
that a detachment has been ordered from our army ?
« Your%

« M. DE LA FAYETTE/^

. • See /Vvlsis, No. XVIII.

830 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. This note of the Marquis found Captain M'Lane near
•^^"^' Germantown, who immeiliately waited on him at Barren
Hill Church, and the necessary precautions were taken
to prevent surprise ; the advantage, therefore, obtained
over the Marquis, may be accounted for on grounds
little understood, which will acquit him of the want of
caution, and will now be detailed. Proctor's regiment of
artillery, originally levied by the state of Pennsylvania,
had been transferred to the United States, and a re-orga-
nization taking plf.cc, it was the lot of a Lieutenant C*
to be excluded the service, who, in disgust, opened a
correspondence with the enemy, and became a spy to Sir
"William Howe; and the better to fulfil his new engage-
ment, he kept up his acquaintance with his former com-
rades, and frequently visited the cantonment of Valley
Forge. To prevent the necessity of direct intercourse
with Philadelphia, and thereby to avoid suspicion, this
traitor had established a rendezvous in the Frankford
creek with General Howe's messenger, where he used to
deliver his communications; and it was by this channel
the enemy were apprised of the Marquis's movement,
almost as soon as he had reached Barren Hill Church.

On receiving the intelligence, Sir William Howe de-
termined to make a vigorous effort to intercept the Mar-
quis, for which purpose. General Grant, accompanied
by Sir William Erskine, with 5000 select troops, was
ordered, by a formed night march, to turn the Marquis's
left and get into his rear, whilst General Grey, moving
in concert by the Ridge road, was to take possession of
the heights near the falls of Schu}'lkill, and prevent his
escape by Levering's ford. A reference to the Diagram
No. XVr. will exhibit these movements and the Mar-
quis's position.

Captain M<Lane was on the alert, but could discover
no indication of any movement of the enemy on the 18th,
or before the night of the 19th ; the British General, to

* Consideration for ]jns family prevents the exposition of his name.

GENERAL WILKINSON.* 831

mask liis enterprise, having by double guards strictly chaf*.
interdicted all communication with the country ; but the ^^ *"•
silence which ensued this precaution, caused our partisan
to increase his vigilance. On the morning of the lyth,
M«Lanc was joined by Captain William Parr, oi' Mor-
gan's rifle corps, an olllcer of distinguished bravery,
with eighty men, and after night Hill, as was his custom,
he advanced towards the enemy's lines, his evening pa-
trolc having reported every thing quiet j but in crossing
the country he fell in with a couple of the enemy's grena-
diers at the three mile run, (Z) who pretended to be de-
sert^'Ts, from whom he learned, tliat General Grant had
marched at twilight, with the grenadiers and light in-
fantry, on the Old York road, and that a body of Ger-
mans were getting ready to march up the Schuylkill.
These combined movements left no doubt on bis mind
that the Marquis was their object, and he took his mea-
sures accordingly. Captain Parr was despatched across
the country with the detachment by (f) to get possession
of Wanderer's Hill, with orders to oppose the column of
the enemy, which might advance on the ridge road, to
the last extremity, and M*Lane in person pressed for-
ward to the Marquis by the shortest route. (S)

General Grant had marched out of Philadelphia on the
Germantown road, about eight o'clock, turned off at the
rising sun, on the Old York road (o, o,) which he pursued
to (X), where he wheeled short to his left, and fell into
the Limekiln road, by which and the Church road, he
proceeded to White Marsh, crossed the Wissahiccon, and
again turning to his left, he reached Plymouth Meeting
House at (c,) a little before sunrise, and halted at (b.) be-
lieving he had got the Marquis in a cul de sac at (d,) and
that he had nothmg more to do but spring the net. Ge-
neral Grant had marched under cover of night near
twenty miles in nine hours, his troops of course must
have been too much fatigued for a vigorous attack; but
whether it was this circumstance which caused his halt,
or whether he waited the approach of General Grey,
who commanded the column in the Ridge road, and had

83S MEMOIRS BY ^

CHAP, much the shortest distance to march, I am unable to aay ;

^^"*- certain it is, however, that his halt favoured the Mar-
quis's retreat.

I left M'Lean and Parr on the wing from the three mile
run (Z) in (s) and (t;) the former reached Barren Hill
about day break, and imparted his apprehensions to the
Marquis, who could scarcely credit his report, when it
was confirmed by Captain Parr's detarhment, which had
got possession of the hei^^hts above the falls of Schuyl-
kill, in season to engage General Grey's column, and
check its advance; and satisfactory information of Grant's
movement reached him about the same moment from an
opposite quarter, and I take pleasure in recording the
instance of patriotic zeal. In passing White Marsh, the
noise of the British column awoke a Captain Stone of
the militia, an inhabitant, who, on making the discovery,
jumped from a back window of his house, and ran naked
across the country towards Barren Hill until exhausted,
when his report was taken up and carried to the Marquis
in the same manner by Richard Bartleston, who resided
near the meeting house.

The Marquis now found his situation too exigent for
deliberation, and therefore instantly determined to retire
by Matson's ford on the Schuylkill, at (d,) which he for
tunately effected in safety ; but if General Grant, when
he reached Plymouth Meeting house, had, without a halt,
pushed forward two thousand men, with four pieces of
artillery, to occupy the strong grounds at the ford, or
those near Spring Mill at (e,) and had himself advanced
to (fe,) the American corps would have either fallen into
his hands, or must have been dispersed, as he would have
had every advantage of ground, with more than double
force. On the contrary, if the Marquis had retired by
his left in (A,) on what was called the Reading road, and
fallen into the White Marsh road near (/,) he could not only
have extricated his corps, but in his turn might have
gained Grant's left flank and rear, and harassed him on
his return to Philadelphia by Chesnut Hill and German-

^ ^ GENERAL WILKINSON. 888

town, I, m, m, and this no doubt would have been his priAP.
conduct, if the cautious instructions of the Commander *^'"'-
in Chief, liad penniLlcd hint to engage tlic flower of liis
army in manoeuvres of some delicacy against threefold
numbers. After communicating to tlie Marquis, M'Lanc
Joined Captain Parr at Wanderer's Hill, and having
amused the yagers in front of General Gray, to gain
time for the Marquis, he crossed tlie Schuylkill at Lcver-
ing's ford about (/,) and the General retraced his steps to
Phihiileiphia.

In respect to the Marquis's conduct on tliis operation,
it cannot be censured ; the position he had taken at Bar-
ren Hill ('hurch, is almost impracticable in fiont or
flank, and he relied on the corps of observation, posted
six or eight miles in advance, for information of the
enemy's movements, who practised every means to elude
the vigilance of Captain M'Lanc ; yet, although they
had much in their power, they could not escape him ; for
if he had not fallen in with the grenadiers at (Z), he
would have obtained information of Grant's movement a
few minutes after at the Rising Sun.

It is ten miles from Barren Hill Church to Valley
Forge, of course the Marquis was in safety, before it
could be known at Head Quarters that he had been ex-
posed ; but the peril he had escaped produced a lively
sensation tbroughout the army, even after it had ceased,
and the following testimonials shew the estimation in
whicli M'Lane's services were held at Head Quarters on
that occasion

« Camp Valley Forge, May 20, 1778
" Dear Captain,

« I am happy you have, with your brave little party,
conducted with so much honour to y<»urself. The Mar-
quis effected, owing to your vigilance, a glorious retreat,
as well as a difficult one. One of the British prisoners
you sent under guard pretends that he is a deserter; I
wish you would inform me the particidars of the prisoners

voT,. L n N

XVIIL

7 ^ J

834? . MEMOIRS BY ,||.

CHAP, being taken. The Hessians' horses and accoutrements
shall be appraised and paid for by the Quarter Master
General.

« Your very humble servant,

« ALEX. SCAMMELL, Mj. Gen,"

« Camp Valley Forge, 23d J/ay, 1778,
•» Dear Captain,

«« I am proud to hear you are still doing something
to distinguish yourself in the e^es of your country. I
have the pleasure to inform you, that your conduct with
the Marquis has been very pleasing to His Excellency
and the whole army.

« I am your obedient servant,

" CHARLES SCOTT, Brig. Geiu
« and officer of the day."

A few days after the afiair of Barren Hill, Captain
M»Lane fell in witli Lieutenant C. on the lines, under
circumstances of such strong suspicion, that he placed
him under guard, and was sending him to Head Quarters
in charge of Lieutenant Claypoole ; but C. by his reason-
ing and protestations of innocence, lulled the suspicions
of his conductor, who insensibly fell some distance in
rear of his escort, when C. being mucli more athletic,
turned suddenly on him, seized his sword, wrested it
from him, and making him prisoner, changed their route
towards Philadelphia. After recovering his astonishment,
Claypoole, made desperate by his situation, determined
to release himself at every hazard ! He attacked C. but
was overpowered, desperately wounded, and left on the
ground. The traitor escaped, and has not since been
heard of. Lieutenant Claypoole, whom I knew person-
ally, recovered his wounds, and is, I believe, living at
present in Philadelphia. The following letter from the
Adjutant-general refers to this incident.

t
^ GENERAL WILKINSON, a 835

♦♦ Dear Captain, ciiAi'.

" 1 am much obliged by the inrormaUon <,i' last ^^''"
iiij^lit. Tlie bearer, Mr. St. Clair, Ijas been a Lieuteiiaul
in foreign service; lie comes to join your party as a v«»-
luntecr j he bears a good character, appears very sensi-
ble, and I believe will be ambitious to dislinguisii liiin^
self. 1 lament poor Claypoole's fate, but hope he is not
mortally wounded ; I wish you may escape the snares of
the enemy ,• sure 1 am they will endeavour by all possible
methods to catch you. I have ordered Major Mingcr to
send you an ofliccr in Claypoole's place from the German
battalion, who is well acquainted with the country, and
wlio, I expect, will join you to-morrow.
" I am sincerely your's,

« ALEX. SCAMMELL, Jdj. Gen.''

Before we leave the neighbourhood of Philadelphia, I
must record an anecdote of this partizan, which, for
audacity and presence of mind, has been seldom equalled,
and cannot be surpassed, nor should it be forgotten.*

On the Gth of June, 1778, after day break, Captain
M'Lane, with two dragoons, was moving on the Bustle-
town road towards Frankford, and near that village fell
into an ambuscade of infantry, who fired on him, and
forced him into the field on the right towards the Oxford
road, where he discovered a party of British dragoons
galloping towards him. To silence the fire of tiie in-
fantry, he placed himself between them and the dragoons,
and approached the latter until within twenty paces,
when he suddenly wheeled to the right, passed them, and
gained the Oxford road. Two dragoons were detached
in pursuit of him, and, to escape them, he turned off the
road to his left, and pushed for a brancii in his front,
which he crossed, and was ascending the opposite height,
when tiie dragoons came up on his right and left, and
believing he had surrendered, dropped their swords t<j

• 1 understand there is a drawing of this renconlre in Mr. Pealc's
Museum at Philadelphia.

XVIII.

It"*
836 . MEMOIRS BY ^

CHAP, the straps. M<Lane had a pistol in his right hand, with
which he fired into the right hreast of the dragoon on his
left, who fell; he at the same time seized the tassel of the
dragoon's sword on his right, and struck him with his
pistol a bark-handed blow across his nose, which lie re-
peated, until he disabled and brought him to the pummel
of his saddle, and then rode off vvitii a wound on his left
hand, which he received as the dragoon attempted to
draw his sword, the tassel of which he had seized. On
this occasion, the Marquis de la Fayette wrote him the
following letter :

" Valley Forge, 12th June, 1778.
« Dear Sir,

«« I have received your's concerning t!ie Indians,
and will mention your desire to His Excellency, and
make no doubt but that he will send them to join you, as
soon as the enemy take up their intended march through
the Jerseys; the Indians will do well with you in the
pines J* I give you joy for your escape from the British
ambuscade, and the cleverness with vvliich you have dis-
patched the Mr. English dragoons; I have felt great
jdeasure in hearing that your wound is a slight one.
«•' With the most sincere esteem and attachment,
« 1 have the honour to be,
" Dear Sir,

<' Your most obedient servant,

" LA FAYETTE."

As the. period of the evacuation of Philadelphia ap-
proached, M'Lane was directed by the General to quicken
his vigilance, and so close was he on the rear of the ene-
my, which crossed the Delaware at Gloucester point, that
he made prisoners of one captain, one provost-marshal,
three sergeants, two corporals, and thirty-four privates;
on which occasion he received the congratulations of
General Washington.

The details of this veteran's combats, skirmishes, and
adventures arc so numerous, as well by sea as by land ;

I»

w GENERAL WILKINSON. 837

they are so complicated and various, and so interwoven rnxiv
with (lie military operations immediately under General xviir.
Washington's orders, that they would furnish interest- ^'"'^''^^^
ing matter for the historian, and I shall at some future
day give (hem to tlie public. He was engaged, and had
men actually killed around him, at the battle of Long
Island, and every successive action in which General
Washington commanded, from that of the Wliite Plains
to the capture of Cornwallis at York, yet never rose to
a higher grade than that of Major ; but, according to
the rule introduced by President Madison and his Coun-
sellors, M«Lane fought enough to have been made a
Field Marshal. How melancholy is the contrast between
the disinterested patriotism, the integrity, and economy
of that day, compared with tlie pageantry, profligacy,
extravagance, venality, and corruption of the present.
But I will dismis's these painful reflections, and invite the
attention of the reader with the recital of Major M'Lane's
last enterprise, under the orders of General Washington.
Tlie extraordinary circumstances attending the oc-
currence I am about to relate, are probably better known
to the Honourable Judge Peters, of Beliemont, near Phi-
ladelphia, than any other person, because he long pre-
sided at tiie board of war, with distinguished advantage
to his country, and conspicuous honour to himself; and
was, I believe, on that station at the period of which I
am writing. I shall, however, give the facts as I have re-
ceived them. In September, 1781, Captain M'Lanc,
pursuant to orders received from the War office, passed
from Philadelphia to Mount Holiey in New Jersey, w here
he fell in with a stranger who had been previously de-
scribed to him, to whom he made himself known, and
from thence proceeded in company with him to South
river near Shrewsbury, where, agreeably to direction,
he found a whale boat and crew subject to his orders, in
wiiich he embarked with his companion, and, undercover
of the night pushing out to sea, gave Sandy Hook, where
a British squadron lay at the time, a good birth ; then

83* MEMOIRS BY ^

CHAP, hauled in with Long Island, and landed at Gowan's cove,
xviii. ^yijppg |jg ijjy concealed with his crew, whilst his com-
panion absented himself a few hours, and returned with
the private naval signals of the enemy, which the Gap-
r :| tain understood had been procured by James Rivington.

The night following, the party again embarked in their
boat, and returned to South river, from whence M'Lane
proceeded with the signals to Philadelplna, which he was
ordered to convey to the Chesapeake, and deliver to the
French Admiral the Count de Grasse, who lay in Lynn-
haven bay with his fleet.

Lord Cornwallis surrendered to General Washington
the 19th October, 1781, and on the 24th Sir H. Clinton ap-
peared off the Chesapeake with the British fleet, consist-
ing of twenty-five sail of the line and a reinforcement of
7000 men, to relieve his Lordship. But Count de Grasse,
being ignorant of the actual strength of the enemy, de-
clined seeking an action with him, and to remove this
difllculty, it was necessary to ascertain the British force ;
and such was the singular aptitude of ]M<Lane for every
species of military service, such his extraordinary enter-
prise and discernment, as well by sea as land; and such
the boundless confidence of General Washington, that
he was selected on this occasion to reconnoitre the Bri-
tish fleet ; as will appear from the following letter of the
Commander in Chief and the passport of the Count de
Grasse.

« To Major M<Lane,
« Sir,

« I request that you will proceed with all possible
expedition in your boat to the capes, and reconnoitre as
nearly as is consistent with your safety, the British fleet,
in order to ascertain their strength and disposition, and
l)articularly whether they have any transports under
contoy.

" If circumstances should make it more desirable to
make your observations from tiie shore, you will apply

) GENERAL WILKINSON. ,. 839

to any militia officers, and request their assistaTjcc, cither chap.
for your personal safety and accomplishing your object, ^^•"•
or for transmitting intelligence to me. You will likewise
communicate such discoveries to Count dc Grassc as you
think deserve his attention.*

« GO : WASHINGTON.
« Given at Head quarters, the 2dth Oct. 1781.'*

« II est ordonne a tous battiments Francois actualle-
mcnt dans Ic baye de Chesapeake, dc ne donncr aucum
dcpechment, a la commission de Mons. Mac Lane et dc
lui a donner tout assistance sous tout Ibis montre ct a
reveler de sa mission.

« LE COMTE DE GRASSE.
« On lord la Ville de Paris, SOtli Oct. 1781."

After four pitched battles under General Wasliington,
eight iieavy attacks, including Trenton, Princeton, Gcr-
mantown, Stoney Point, and Paulus Hook ; eighteen
brisk skirmishes, numerous affairs of pickets, and one
sea fight, as Captain of marines, on board the Congress,
in which the British sloop of war Savage, Captain Stir-
ling, was taken ; this revolutionary soldier, having spent
his patrimony in the service of his country, retired to the
bosom of his fellow citizens, content with the result of
his perils, sufferings, and sacrifices, for which he was
rewarded by an approving conscience, the patronage of
Presidents Washington and Jefferson, and the following
credentials from the hand of the first man of the world :

« Allen M<Lane, Esquire, was appointed a Captain in
one of the additional continental regiments of foot in
January, 1777, and by his activity and industry, soon
joined the army with a full company. He commanded a
party of observation, under my instructions, until July,

* The Major executed tliis service to admiration, contriving by
liis sl^^nals to intermingle with the British fleet, and returned in
safety with a satisfactory report; yet the g;illant DeGrasse declined
to seek the action, and was afterwards defeated by Admiral Kodney
in the West Indies, and was taken in the Ville de Paris.

.1

840 ^ MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. 1779, when he was annexed by a resolution of the Ho-
^^^^^* nourable Continental Congress, to Major Lee's legion,
to command the dismounted. From the certificates of
w'liich Major M«Lane is possessed, it appears, that he
was very early active in the cause of his country ; and
from the time of his joining the continental army, I can
testify that he distinguished himself highly as a brave
and enterprising officer.

a Previous to the siege of York, he was employed to
watch the movements of the British army, at or near
New York, as well as in Virginia, and he was intrusted
with despatches of the first importance to His Excellency
Count de Grasse, which commission he executed with
great celerity, and was afterwards very serviceable in
reconnoitring and bringing intelligence of the strength
and disposition of the British army.

"Given under my hand and seal, at Rocky Hill, near
Princeton, Nov. 4th, 1792.

(Signed) "GO: WASHINGTON."

i

^ *

«

GENERAL WILKINSON. g^i

CHAPTER XIX.

A rapid Sketch nf the Battle of Breed's HilL

On the au,qmentation of Iiis force in May, 1775, Ge-
neral Gai;;e determined to occupy the heights of Dorches-
ter to the south of Boston, and those of Charlestown on
tlie north of the town ; the occupation of these points
was not only necessary to the extension of his quarters,
but indispensible to his holding possession of them. It
was therefore determined in the first instance, to seize
upon Dorchester Iicights, as they were the most
commanding, and of easiest access to the Provincials.
Preparations were accordingly made, and agreeably to
the plan concerted. Major-general Ilowc was to have
landed at the point of the peninsula nearest the castle ;
Major-general Clinton on the flat between that place and
Nook's Hill, whilst Major-general Durgoyne was to take
post on the neck, and amuse tlie Provincials at Roxbury
witli a heavy cannonade; and from the strength, disposi-
tion, and equipments of those corps at that period, no ef-
fectual opposition could have been made to this operation
of the royal army ; and a few days more would have put
it in possession of Bunker's Hill also.

The arrangements of General Gage, preparatory to
those meditated operations, necessarily attracted the ob-
servation of the inhabitants of Boston, and being com-
municated to the Provincial Congress, they became jea-
lous of some hostile movement, without being able to pe-
netrate the object of it. It appears probable that under
this impression, they recommended to a council of war,
which had been instituted, the fortification of Dorchester
neck and Bunker's Hill, on the ground of precautionanj
defencef the very sajne motive by which the coiinri! oi*
VOL. I. ' r> O '

CFIAP.
XIX.

84S MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. British officers had been actuated ; for if the views of the
^*^' provincial Congress had been offensive, the heights of
Dorchester couhl not have escaped their attention, be- ,
cause from thence both the town and harbour were ex-
posed to annoyance.

The resolution of the provincial council of war being
taken, Colonel Prescott, a man of strong mind and
dauntless resolution, who I understand had served in tlie
seven years' war as a provincial subaltern, seconded by
a Colonel Brewer, who also served in the same war as a
sergeant of rangers, was ordered witlj one thousand Mas-
sachusetts men, to take possession of Bunker's Hill ; but
whether by mistaking the spot, which seems improbable,
or from the desire to take a position within offensive dis-
tance of General Gage, Colonel Prescott passed the
crown of Bunker's Hill about 600 yards, and broke ground
on Breed's Hill, about 1200 yards from the British bat-
tery, on Cop's hill in North Boston ; he there projected
a regular square, as well as I recollect,* of fifty yards,
without a flanking angle, the front of which, towards
Boston, ranged about N. E. and S. W. with the entrance
or aperture in the centre of the opposite side ; a parapet
breast high had been thrown up, and 2i, retrenchment, from
the N. E. angle of the ditch in front, had been pushed
about 100 yards down the declivity towards Mystic ri-
ver, with the apparent design of continuing it across a
hollow or intlenture of the surface, to the bank of that
river : from the N. E. angle of the redoubt, in rear, a
post and rail fence, ranging with the N. E. side of the re-
doubt, ran back about 200 yards, where it was intersect-
ed nearly at right angles by a similar fence, extended
about 300 yards to the bank of Mystic river, which at
tlic junction was 8 or 9 feet perpendicular height : in
front of the last line of fence from the bank of the Mystic
river, the ground was smooth, without obstruction, and
declined gently 60 or 80 yards, where it fell off abruptly.

* I exammed it the ITth Marcb, 177Q, the day the enemy evacuat-
ed Boston.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 843

The bank of the Mystic river appeared firm and flat. chap.
Those details are given from memoranda taken hastily, ^"^
almost lorty-onc years since, and therefore I crave consi- ^'^'^''"^
deration, should they be in any particular imperfect.

This rectangular work of Colonel I'rescott was so far
advanced, that his men were pretty well covered in the
ditch and retrenchment, and behind the parapet, before
he was discovered in the morning, although the Lively
frigate lay immediately before him in the ferry way be-
tween Charlestown and Boston, and a ship of the line, with
the Falcon sloop of war, a few hundred yards to the
eastward. The batteries of these vessels, and several
gun boats, with that at Cop's Hill, were opened against
the Provincials as soon as they were discovered, and the
cannonade was continued without cessation; but, from the
elevation of the hill, with so little effect, that the Ameri-
cans continued their w^ork.

The British General was startled by this encroachment,
which left him no time to deliberate; for although Bunker's
Hill could have given little annoyance to Boston, Breed's
Hill positively commanded the northei-n part of it. Ma-
jor-general Howe, therefore, being first for duty, was or-
dered vvith ten companies of grenadiers, and ten of light
infantry, and the 5th, S8th, 43d, and 52d regiments, to
dislodge the Provincials ; and on this service, seconded
by Brigadier-general Pigot, he embarked in barges about
noon, and rowed to Moreton's point, the eastern extremi-
ty of the peninsula of Charlestown, and the present site of
the navy yard of the United States, where he landed and
formed without opposition ; but disliking the disposition
and aspect of the Provincials, he ordered his troops to sit
down, and sent back to Boston for a reinforcement, to
land and co-operate from the side of Charleston : for
which service the 47th regiment and 1st battalion of ma-
rines were detached ; and yet this corps of Sir \Mlliam
Howe, composed of five regiments, one battalion, and
twenty flank companies, has been generally reported at
about 2000 men ; but surely sixty-four companies, at least.

814? MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, cannot be reckoned far less tlian 3000 men, and tliis n«m-
^^^^^^ ber 1 shall claim, for the honour of Prescott and Stark,
and the yeomanry of Massachusetts and New-Hampshire,
who, I have been assured by several spectators of the ac-
tion, were the only troops engaged, and that their whole
number did not exceed 1500 combatants.

General Howe halted at Moreton's point, as well to
arrange and refresh his corps for combat, as to wait the
reinforcement ; being perfectly concealed from observa-
tion in his front by the nature of the ground. Prescott,
at the same time, manned his redoubt, and the retrench-
ment, and occupied the circumjacent ground in the most
advantageous manner he could, with about 800 men out
of the thousand ordered for the .service ; whilst General
Putnam and a Colonel Gerrish took post with about 1500
men, on and around Bunker's Hill. In the mean time.
Colonel Stark, with his own regiment and that of Reed
from New Hampshire, amounting to about 700 men,
half organized,* and wretchedly equipped,! were press-
ing forward for the scene of action ; Captain H. Dear-
born, (lately a Major-general, and turned out of service
by the good President Madison, to make room for liis
favourites Brown and Scott,) marched on Colonel Stark's
right, traversed the causeway under a heavy cross fire
from floating batteries, and passed General Putnam on

• The men hastily chose their company officers, but Stark had
for his Major Andrew M'Clary, Esq. who had distinguished himself
for his resolution, zeal and patriotism, in planning' and leading the
attack of the Custle at Portsmouth, the 1st December, 1774, and
seizing the ordnance, arms, and military stores found therein; he
had this day discharged his duty with great gallantry in the fields
and escaped unhurt, but returning to bring ofi" some men scattered
in the rear, he was killed by a cannon ball from one of the enemy's
floating batteries near the neck.

f The men were armed with fusils of various calibres, each in-
dividual was furnished one quarter of a pound of powder in a horn,
one flint, and lead sufficient to make fifteen charges eitlier of ball or
buckshot; the men prepared their ammunition according to their
discretion, some with cartridges and others with loose ammunition ;
the powder in their horns and the lead in their pockets.

GENERAL WILKINSON.

lliinkcr's Hill, with Colonel Gcrrisli by iiis siih*, and cilAP.
.1000 01' 1^200 men under tlicir orders ; as this corps of ^^^
citizen soldiers approached the redoubt under tlie cannon-
ade of the enemy's batteries, from Charles River and
Cop's Hill, Colonel Stark determined to form bis men
behind the post and rail fences before described; but
when he reached the bank of the Mystic, he cast his eyes
down upon the beach, and, as he observed to me on the
spot, thought it was so plain a way that the enemy could
not miss it ; he therefore ordered a number of his boys
to jump down the bank, aiul with stones from the adjacent
walls, they soon threw up a strong breastwork to the
water's edge, behind which he posted triple ranks of his
choice men ; in the mean time, those who were formed in
rear of the fences, to conceal themselves from the enemy,
filled the space between the rails with grass and hay, behind
which they either knelt or sat down, every man having
made an aperture in the grassy rampart, through which,
whilst resting his fusee, he could take deliberate aim.
Captain Dearborn was posted with his company nearest
to the redoubt on the right of Stark's line.

About one o'clock General Howe put two columns and
a detachment with his artillery in motion ; one column
marched by the beach, and his light infantry led the
other on the margin of the bank of Mystic, and directly
to the left of Colonel Stark's line ; the detachment and
artillery, from the best information 1 have been able to
procure, inclined towards his left, and commenced a
feeble attack against the redoubt at long shot, apparently
with a design to draw the attention of Colonel Prescott,
whilst the column on the beach, and that on the bank of
the Mystic, were destined to turn the flank and gain the
rear of the Provincials on Breed's Hill, which they would
have accomplished, if they had not been driven back.
Colonel Stark's orders to his men, wlio were concealed
behind the stone wall on the beach, were not to fire until
the front of the enemy reached a point whicli he bad
marked in the bank, at eight or ton rods distance, and

8i6 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, those on the bank immediately under his eye, were direct-
^^^^_^V^ ed to reserve their fire, until they could see the enemy's
half ejaitcrs, \j hich, from the form of the ground, would
bring tliem within the same distance: in tliis situation of
the provincials, the columns of the enemy on the beach
and (he bank advanced by heavy platoons, without firing,
as if not apprised of what awaited them, and when with-
in the prescribed distance, received a volley which mowed
down the whole front ranks, and the columns were in-
stantly broken and fell back in disorder, that on the
beach, entirely out of the combat, having ninety-six*
men killed outright, before they could escape the Ame-
rican fire ; on the bank the light infantry fell back until
covered by the ground, then reformed, and again ad-
vanced to the attack, and were again repulsed with simi-
lar slaughter : three times were these brave unfortunate
men led to the charge, and were finally repulsed. f Sir
William Howe now gave up his first plan of attack, to
force his way into tlie rear of the provincials, and mak-
ing an entire new disposition, he directed his whole force
against the redoubt, attacking it on three sides at the
same time. General Clinton, with the 4rth regiment
and the battalion of marines on the right ; General Pigott,
with the 5th, 58th, and 43d regiments, in the centre; and
the Commander, with the grenadiers and 52d regiment
on the left; the light infantry appear to have been put
hors de combat. The retrenchment was turned on the
left and entered by the grenadiers, but being exposed to
tlie perpendicular fire of the redoubt and the oblique fire
of Captain Dearborn, they were obliged to abandon it.

* Mr. John Winslow, then in Boston, I understand, counted this
number the next day. This gentleman served with much reputation
in the artillery of the revolution, and was at the capture of Bargoyne>
and has been long since a Major-general in the militia of Massa-
chusetts.

f T had these details from Colonel Stark on the field, the 17th of
March, 1776, and I remember his observing, " i!ie dead lay as thick
as sheep in a fold;*' it was at this point the enemy sufTsred most se-
vere 1 v.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 847

Assailed in liis front and flanks by tlirce-fold numbcrB, chap.
I'rcscott persevered with great obstinacy and valour, un- '^'^•
til his ammunition was nearly expended, and the redoubt ^"^""^"^^
was forced by the grenadiers at the angle, which joined
the retrenchment. He was then obliged to give way,
and his men of course retreated in disorder. After the
third repulse of the light infantry, and whilst the attack
M^as carried against the redoubt, Stark's men behind tl»c
post and rail fence near the Mystic, were unassailcd and
unoccupied, and the scenes near the redoubt being ob-
scured by the smoke, they were induced to retreat re-
luctantly after the work was carried. If they had been
thrown forward, where the light infantry finally gave
way, to attack Sir William's right flank and rear, the
issue of this conflict might have proved unfortunate for
him ; or if General Putnam had moved up with Colonel
Gerrish and the men who remained stationary within
600 yards of the combat, which lasted an hour and an
half, the triumph of the provincials would have been de-
cisive, and tliose of the British corps who were not kill-
ed must have surrendered, which would probably have
terminated the contest, and prevented the disseverment
of the British empire ; but 1 understand from high au-
thority, that it was in vain Colonel Prescottsent messen-
ger after messenger to entreat General Putnam to come
to his succour; he rode about Bunker's Uill, while the
battle raged under his eye, with a number of intrenching
tools slung across his horse, but did not advance a step,
and was passed, with Colonel Gerrish still at his side, by
Stark and Dearborn as they retreated, near the spot
where they saw him when they advanced ; and for tiiis
conduct Colonel Prescott never ceased to reprobate the
General.

In respect to the patriot. Doctor Warren, whose ac-
knowledged talents and virtues, and zeal and devotion
to the cause of his country, have consecrated his mcmoi y
to endless time, he arrived at the redoubt a short lime
before the action commenced, and on his appearance be-

848 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP ing known as a general officer recently appointed, the
^^^' gallant Prescott addressed himself to him, and demanded,
" Doctor Warren, do you come here to take the com-
mand ?" " No, Colonel," replied the Doctor, « but to
give what assistance I can, and to let these damned ras-
cals see," pointing to the British troops, "that the Yan-
kees will fight.''* I understand he performed his duty
with his firelock, and it is certain he fell in the retreat, in
rear of, and a little to the riglit of the redoubt, it is said,
by a random shot through the head.

Thesanguinary merits of thiscombat would notdisgrace
Chippewa or Bridgewater; but in this one case the liber-
ties of North America formed the ground of contest,
Avhilst in the other, military eclat and individual exalta-
tion were alone contended for. The loss of the provin-
cials were 453, all ranks included, among whom, Doctor
Warren, Colonel Gardner, Lieutenant-colonel Parker,
Major M' Clary, and Major Moore, were the only cfia-
racters of distinction. The loss of the British of all
ranks was 1054, of whom 19 commissioned officers were
killed, and among them one Lieutenant-colonel, two
Majors, and seven Captains; and 70 were wounded.
Such were the immediate fruits of this battle, but its efiects
were coextensive with the American war, leaving im-
pressions on the minds of the British commanders which
saved the country from great loss of blood and heavy
calamities. This isolated sketch being intended as a
mere record of facts little known, it may be proper to
state, that between Prescott and Stark there was no pre-
concert or plan of co-operation; each fought his distinct
corps, and defended his ground, according to his own
judgment, and there was no general command exercised
on the field ; as soon as the men were stationed, every
one reasoned and resolved for himself, and fought for his
country, under the direction of his own will; and the
consequences shew Aviiat cannot be denied, that one deli-

* This fact is taken from the lips of Doctor Eustis, our minister
at the Hague, who was present in the redoubt.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 849

berate well directed shot, is worth an hundred and twenty CHAP,
thrown away by platoons or file firing, in the ordinary ^*^'
liurry of military actions, particularly under the shade of
night, and at fiOO yards distance. General Ward, the
Commander in Ciiief, listened to the thunder of the battle
from his quarters at Cambridge ; and all the reinforce-
ments which arrived at Bunker's tlill, after Colonel
Stark had passed, halted and kept c<)mpany with General
Putnam and Cnlonel Gerrish. The Colonel was cashier-
ed, but the General, being distinguished for his populari-
ty, his integrity, and patriotism, served as third in com-
mand at the termination of the American revolution.

'I'he habits and feelings of our countrymen at the com-
mencement of the revolution have been described in the
beginning of this volume, and when contrasted with
those of the present day, they will receive a favourable
award from every virtuous and reflecting citizen ; while
the youth of the present day, whether reared in military
academies or metropolitan schools, though they may be
taught to call ambition virtue, will find among their pre-
decessors examples worthy of any age or nation, in which
ambition was united with the sentiment of bve of country
and inseparable from social virtue.

Those, then, who desire to stifle in the rising genera-
tion, that Godlike sensibility, which weeps over the suf-
ferings of a fellow creature, or to impair the force of
the divine injiMiction which teaches man " to do as he
would be done by," instead of instructing his son in the
civil arts and useful sciences, should encourage military
academies, and teach them bow to wield the sabre or to
set the squadron, and

*< To know the Iiardships of a lengthened war,

« What treasures it must cost, what scenes of blood,

" What vast expanses, what lunnimbered toils

" Equipping fleets and mustering armies ask."

The following animated description of the battle of
VOL. T. 5 P

850 MEMOIRS BY

CHAP. Breed's Hill and its attendant horrors, from the pen of
^'^" one of the most elegant scholars and accomplished gen-
^^"""^^^ tlemen of his day,* will exhibit to the people of these
states, the barbarian influence of military education and
habits on the human mind, and will shew them how men
accustomed to scenes of horror and distress, may be
charmed by the savage sublimity of blazing towns and
bleeding hosts, to the dissolution of the first duties and
obligations of intelligent social beings, and the extinction
of the endearing and consoling virtues of humanity, and
religion.

" And now ensued one of the greatest scenes of war
that can be conceived ; if we look to the height, Howe's
corps ascending the hill in the face of intrenchments, and
in a very disadvantageous ground, were much engaged;
to the left the enemy pouring in fresh troops by thousands
over the land ; and in the arm of the sea our ships and
floating batteries cannonading them ; straight before us
a large and noble town, in one great blaze ; the church
steeples and heights of our own camp covered with spec-
tators of the rest of the army, which was not engaged ;
the hills round the country covered with spectators ; the
enemy all in anxious suspense^ and the roar of cannon,
mortars, and musketry f the crash of churches, ships
upon the stocks, and whole streets falling together in
ruins, to fill the ear ; the storm of the redoubts, with the
objects above described, to fill the eye; and the reflection
that perhaps a defeat was a final loss of the British em-
pire in America, to fill the mind, made the whole picture
a complication of horror and importance beyond any
thing that ever came to my lot to witness."

• General Burgoyne.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 831

CHAP.
XX.

CHAPTER XX.

General Washington,

Power and greatness are frequently confounded, yet
nothing can be more distinct ; the first may spring from
birtli, from fortune, from cunning, and a thousand ad-
ventitious circumstances ', the last depends on a combina-
tion of the capacities of the head, the virtues of the
heart, and active dispositions to promote the happiness
of mankind ; the former commands respect, the latter
invites attachment ; veneration and awe are due to places
confidence and esteem to persons ; men may become il-
lustrious by their vices, but they never can be truly
great without virtue; Alexander was an illustrious con-
queror, but a murderer and a nuisance to society ; Csesar
was an illustrious usurper, and became the tyrant of his
country; between him and Catiline there was no differ-
ence but in their exterior habits, their modes of pursu-
ing their ambitious views, and the peculiar characters of
their minds in choosing their means and directing their
measures. The recollection of such characters inspires
the sensible and the virtuous heart with indignation and
abhorrence, whilst it swells with complacency and delight
at the remembrance of Epaminondas and Scipio. Fre-
derick was an illustrious butcher, not devoid of great-
ness, because he took pains to meliorate the condition of
his subjects, but he was a stranger to religion and virtue.
The splendour of Napoleon's glories sickens the sight,
whilst the gentle beams which irradiate the character of
General Washington cheers the heart and consoles the
friends of humanity.

Distinguished characters like meteors catch the atten-
tion by their rarity and their splendour, and whether

S5^Z MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, from vain curiosity or rational inquiry, for profit or for
^^' amusement, mankind seek with avidity the words and
actions, and even the frivolous incidents which emanate
from or hear relation to public men, who have been con-
spicuous for their virtues or their vices ; so much is in-
tellectual man governed by the impressions made upon
his senses: I therefore anticipate the reader's pardon for
presenting to him a brief illustration of characters which
cannot fail to interest him.

During my intercourse with General Hamilton at New
York in 1799, our official engagements produced fre-
quent references to the opinion of General Washington,
and I embraced the occasion, to obtain a more distinct
view of the private character of that great man than our
military relations had permitted.

There may be many living witnesses of the fact, that
Sir Henry Clinton, whilst he commanded in New York,
occupied the house of Captain Kennedy, of the British
navy, near the battery; and that there were no buildings
at that time between it and the river. In these quarters
the chief reposed in security witli the ordinary ground
in front, relying on naval protection for safety in his
rear. General Washington had by his spies ascertained
precisely the approaches, not only to Sir Henry's quar-
ters, but to his bed-chamber, and the enterprise appear-
ed so feasible, that he determined ty carry him off. The
arrangements were made for light whale boats with
muffled oars, and 150 Marblehead seamen, properly
commanded ;* every thing being ready, the detachment
waited for the approach of night ; in the interval Colonel
Hamilton took occasion to observe to the General, that
*« there could be little doubt of t!ie success of the enter-
prise, but," said he, «< have you examined the conse-
quences of it?" The General inquired "in what respect ?'*
<« Why," replied Hamilton, " it has occurred to me that
we shall rather lose than gain by removing Sir Henry

• As well as I recollect. Colonel Humphreys, of Connecticut, an
aid-de-camp of the General, was selected for this service.

GENERAL WILKINSON. 853

Clinton from the command of the British army, because chap.
We jwrfectly understand his character, and by taking ,JSJll^
him off we only make way for some other, perhaps an
abler officer, whose character and dispositions we may
have to learn." The General a( knowledged these reflec-
tions had not occurred to him, but with noble frankness
admitted their force, thanked Colonel Hamilton for bis
suggestion, and the expedition was abandoned. I had
beard of this incident, and making inquiry of General
Hamilton relative to the fact, he gave the preceding de-
tails.

On other occasions, when in conversation respecting
this great man. General Hamilton observed, that it was
difficult to decide, whether General Washington was
greater in the field or in the cabinet ; he said the world
had very naturally decided in favour of his military capa-
city, but from the sum of bis observations, he considered
him at least equally sound as a statesman ; for whatever
might have been the jealousies or the insinuations of
party, it was no humiliation to him to acknowledge, that
he had in council frequently differed in opinion with Pre-
sident Washington, and that events had generally proved
that he was wrong and the President right. But he
dwelt on a specific trait in General Washington's charac-
ter, which it were devoutly to be wished his successors
could imitate ; this was, that in " all apyohdmcnts to
office, ivhcrcin he was especially called to exercise his own
judgment, he nobly divested himself of siimpathy or antipa-
thy, and made what he considered the fitness of the agent to
the office the ground of his choice ;" as an evidence of the
fact, he mentioned, that « Colonel Pickering, at the time
he was appointed Postmaster-general, was no favourite of
President Washington, but that he knew the Colonel to be a
man of industry and method, and had confidence in his in-
tegrity ; and as to myself,'* said he, «* there had been for
some time such a standing, or misunderstanding, between us,
that 1 had no more expectation of o^ice than I had of being
appointed Pope's nuncio, when I received the invitation to

85* MEMOIRS BY

CHAP, take charge of the treasury department.'* That a coolness
y^^^,^^ ^^^ taken place between the Commander in Chief and)
Colonel Hamilton, towards the close of the war, and
that the Colonel had left his family, was notorious, but
there were very few persons acquainted with the caused
which I shall now submit to my readers, as correctly asi
memory will serve me, and should I commit an error,*
will refer to General St. Clair for correction, who is the>
only man living, within my knowledge, acquainted with'
tlie facts.

The army was encamped in New Jersey at some point
east of the Rariton, and perhaps at Perackness. Thei
General was just mounting his horse, to visit his ad-
vanced post, when he recollected a letter he had recently
received from the British commander, which it occurred;
to him he might have occasion for whilst at the lines y.
lie called Colonel Hamilton, and requested him « to hand
the letter to him." The Colonel returned to the office,
but not being able to place his hand on it, reported, thati
'< it was mislaid." The General replied, « I must have
it." Search was again made without effect, and Colonel
Hamilton returning, repeated that the letter had been
mislaid, and expressed his sorrow at not being « able to
fnd it." The General rejoined with warmth, « Sir you
shall find it." Hamilton was astonished, but replied
promptly, " I shall find it. Sir, but must let you know,
that in addressing me, you do not speak to a menial."
The occasion was honourable to the parties ; it was the
quarrel of Sully and Henry ; it furnished General Wash-
ington an occasion for the display of his magnanimity,
and Colonel Hamilton an opportunity to assert his per-
sonal dignity and independence of mind. Colonel Hamil-
ton retired from Head Quarters, but was appointed to
the command of a battalion in the elite corps, at the
head of which he stormed a redoubt during the siege of
York before the surrender of Cornwallis.

It would be presumptuous for me to attempt the eulogy
of a man who has deservedly attracted the attention and

855

in-
Ay
ird
ify
Jh-

iiy

/ill
ird
/a-
iu
or-
al.

of
m-

sy

iry
ing
nel
tor
in
in
on.

85^

tb
tbi
\v\
mi
wi
oi
tin

ea;
Ge
va
re(
to
he
the
hui
»f ii
it.'
Ha
mis
flm
sha
pro
tha
Th
qua
ing
sini
son
ton
the
liea
Yoi
I
of J

GENERAL WILKINSON. 8^5

respect of the world ,• my humble suffrage could add no- chap.
thing to the fame of General Washington, after he has ^^•
merited the plaudits of mankind, by the rare example of ^'^'■^^^^-'
a military chief, who, having led the armies of his coun-
try, to the establishment of her independence, peaceably
and proudly laid down his arms, and sought his reward
in the bosom of his fellow citizens. But I will gratify
tlie reader with a facsimile of the heads of General Wash-
ington's first official letter, dated at Cambridge, July
10th, 1775, to the President of Congress, which will
perpetuate the character of his manuscript, and record
the extent and accuracy of his knowledge, in all the va-
riety of military details, a subject little understood in
this country at that period, and of which his own oppor-
tunities for correct information had been superficial.
Tlie comprehension and correctness of his military views,
under those circumstances, must excite the admiration of
every competent judge, and I do conceive clearly demon-
strate, that whatever may have been the force and energy
of his mind, when directed to other subjects, military
affairs were undoubtedly his fort. The letter amplifying
the topics comprised in these heads was written by Colonel
Joseph Reed, then his Secretary, and afterwards Governor
of Pennsylvania, the original rough draft of which is in
my possession, and the published copy will be found in
the first volume of Washington's letters, Boston Edition,
1795, page Sth.

END OF VOL. I.

ti -E

l»^

4

^

4
^

i

GENERAL WILKINSON. gg^

respect of the world ,♦ my humble sutTragc could add no-
thing to the fame of General Washington, after he has
merited the plaudits of mankind, by the rare example of
a military chief, wlio, having led the armies of his coun-
try, to the establishment of her independence, peaceably
and proudly laid down his arms, and sought his reward
in the bosom of his fellow citizens. But I will gratify
the reader with a/ac simile of the heads of General Wash-
ington's first official letter, dated at Cambridge, July
10th, 1775, to the President of Congress, which will
perpetuate the character of his manuscript, and record
the extent and accuracy of his knowledge, in all the va-
riety of military details, a subject little understood iti
this country at that period, and of which his own oppor-
tunities for correct information had been superficial.
The comprehension and correctness of his military views,
under those circumstances, must excite the admiration of
every competent judge, and I do conceive clearly demon-
strate, that whatever may have been the force and energy
of his mind, when directed to other subjects, military
affairs were undoubtedly his/orf. The letter amplifying
the topics comprised in these heads was written by Colonel
Joseph Reed, then his Secretary, and afterwards Governor
of Pennsylvania, the original rough draft of which is in
my possession, and the published copy will be found in
the first volume of Washington's letters, Boston Editioriy
1795, page Bth.

END OF yoi. I.

L

[.^] Mstract of a General Hon. Major-general St. Clair.

Ticonderoga, June 2Sth, 1777.

JIank and File.

Com

OQ

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126

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4

123

3

292

link's . . . L

13

212

58

2

87

360

BiacHbrd's - - '

10

265

17

51

333

Scummel's - - . >

15

153

71

12

126

1

363

Cil ley's . . I.

12

193

88

2

113

396

Jackson's ...

3

45

11

7

22

85

IJi-cwer's

10

144

15

1

92

252

Francis's • . . i

13

206

49

4

161

420

Warner's - _ ,

10

99

25

1

48

173

Long-'s . . . {

1

91

38

25

154

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7

192

63

2

22

279

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8

197

44

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64

309

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3

19

14

2

35

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1

23

23

Baldwin's Artificers, &c. - !
Totalj

117

124

3

1

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130

2089

532

39

937

6

3604

IS.

1 Ticonderoga, June

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13

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5 65

62

1

723

8 81

61

5

662

3 2

8

24

107

- __

6 415

274 38

3925

3

165 7

2434

1 1

d\ 415

4391

45 1

6359

Jiili/ 19th,

mdant.

REMARKS.

JV. B. Major Stevens sick at Saratoga, Capt. Dearing
on command at Albany, by order of Gen. Schuyler, Capt.
L. Hutching's on command at Saratoga, Lieuts. Inger-
COMPj'joll, Driskell and l/ieiit. Howler on command by order
if (icn. Schuyler, I,ieut. W. M'Lane sick at Saratoga,
Capt. Hodgson on command at Springfield by order of
Gen. Schuyler; 2 serg'ts, 1 corp. 1 bombardier, 1 gun-

1. Capt. Uiier under coniineroeut; mising since the retreat 1 ser-

2. J3i?eant major, 2 sergts. 5 corps. 1 bombardier, 4 gun-

3. Wiers, 1 drummer; sick present 2 sergts. I corp. 1 bom-

4. Doardier, 1 gunner; on command 1 sergt. 2 corps. 4

jombardiers, 1 gunner, by order of Gen. Schuyler;
[leserted 1 gunner. I

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Nixon's

Fermoy's - .

Poor's

Patterson's

Learned's

Artillery

Total
Militia

Aggregate

<

A'. Ji. IWajor Stevens sick at Saratoga, Capt. Dearing
on command at Albany, by order of Gen. Schuyler, Capt.
L. Hutchings on command at Saratoga, Lieuts. Inger-
soll, Driskell and Lieut. Howler on command by order
of (ien. Schuyler, Lieut. W. M'Lane sick at S.iratoga,
Capt. Hodgson on command at Springfield by order of
Gen- Schuyler; 2 sergts. 1 corp. 1 bombardier, 1 gun-
ler under confinement; mising since the retreat 1 ser-
geant major, 2 sergts. 5 corps. 1 bombardier, 4 gun-
lers, 1 drummer; sick present 2 sergts. I corp. 1 bom-
jardier, 1 gunner; on command 1 sergt. 2 corps. 4
bombardiers, 1 gunner, by order of Gen. Schuylei;;
deserted 1 gunner.

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[B] CONTINrED.

^ Return of a Brigade of Militia of the County of Many, whereof Mraharri Ten Broeck, Esq. is Brigadief-generaL

Fort E,dward, July Uth, 1777.

Field Officers.

C<nn. Officers,

Staff Officers.

J\^on

Com.

7?n)i^- nn(/ File.

"k

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S

"ca

' NAMES.

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62

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u

in

£

S

0

c
0,

c
0

0

62

Colonel Jacob Lansing's regiment

1

4

2

2

2

Abraham Wimple's do. - <

1

1

7

5

2

2

16

2

115

7

10

132

Francis Nicoll's do.

2

2

0

2

a

10

4

69

69

Kjlllan Van Renssalaer's do.

1

1

0

•tj

2

9

5

75

15

90

Gerrit Vanderberg's do.

1

2

2

2

9

2

42

42

Stephen J. Schuyler's do.

2

4

4

5

4

1

16

6

123

21

7

151

Robert Van Renssalaer's do.

1

2

6

4

5

4

1

11

4

106

3

109

Abraham Van Alstyne's do.

2

2

1

1

4

36

36

Peter Van Ness's do.'

1

1

2

4

6

5

5

22

7

210

13

223

Peter K. Livingston's do.

1

3

2

1

3

12

6 '

100

100

Anthony Van Horgen's do.

1

1

4

5

3

3

10

2

62

62

Jacobus Van Schoonhoven's do.

1

1

0

3

1

0

5

3

108

10

118

John M'Crea's do.

2

2

3

2

2

20

6

145

5

150

Johannes Knickerbocker's do»

1

1

2

6

6

6

7

12

2

97

97

Peter Vrooman's do.

1

2

2

1

1 1

6

4

50

7

57

William B. Waiting's do.
1 Total

1

1

8

7

7

1 ''

1

1

32
207

4

57

225
1625

32
113

10

7

257
1755

8 ! 5

20

: 62

57

46 I 45

11 1 12

3

Broeckf Esq. is Brigadief-generaL

./Vojz Com.

i?a7i^' and File.

^

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13

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3

a

c

u

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a
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by:

o
62

1

62

16

2

115

7

10

132

10

4

69

69

9

5

75

15

90

9

2

42

42

16

6

123

21

7

151

1

11

4

4

106
36

3

109
S6

22

7 i

210

13

223

12

6

100

100

10

2

62

62

5

3

108

10

118

20

6

145

5

•

150

12

2

97

97

6

4

50

7

57

1

32

207

4

225

32

257

3

57

1625

113

10

7

1755

nen.

Ion's Ferry, Jtfohinok River,

t and File.

Sept. 3d, 1777.

M

13

jC ^

^^

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T3 C

Ji2

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COMPANIES.

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70

.ain Cabell's

Posey's*

2

55

Knox's

1 4

54

Long's

1

1

64

Svvearingen's

6

4

87

Paai's

2

1

,19

Boone's

1

1

4

18

2

63

Henderson's

4

76

Total

2

9

22

_2

508

4

H

2

12

B. One of Captain Posey's Captain Long's lieutenants on command;
f Captain Swearing'en's serg* with leave, and both his lieutenants sick
t ; Captain Boone wounded absent.

fANIEL MORGAN, Colonel.

r these eight captains, Pose^he attack of Stoney Point; and afterwards
dauntless resolution contri|i together as brigadiers,in 1793-4 ; and he
jcently governor of the Indii

■IBIOX

O'O.^'.i'N.O^ro'X)

"oO

A". B. One of Captain Posey's sergeants sick absent ; one of Captain Knox's sergeants sick present ; one of Captain Long's lieutenants on command ;
l»o of C.iptain Swe:irin5en's sergeants sick at Mendam, and one do. sick at Germantown ; Captain Paar absent with leave, and both his lieutenants sick
absent ; Captain Boone wounded absent, and his ensign deserted ; one of Captain Henderson's lieutenants sick absent.

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515

ii

[D] CONTIXUED.

J\'ames of the within Officers, Killed, Wounded and Missing.

COIU'S.

KILLRD.

WOUNDED.

MISSING,

UEMAKKS.

JVumes.

Rank.

JVames.

Rank.

J^Tumes.

, Ravk-

Gol. Cilley's regiment

William Scott

Captain

Jason Watts

Captain

Of the non-commissioned, miisiciunB

James Guild

IstLieut.

John Moore

IstLieut.

and privates returned missing, filiccn

Jonathat Emerson

IstLieut.

were killed.

Bazaiel Howe

2d Lieut.

Col. Hale's do.

Winborn Adams

Lt. Col.

Fred. Matt: Bell
Noah Robinson

Captain
2d Lieut.

Col. Scammcl's do.

Andrew Colborn*
Fo. M. Thomas

Lt. Col.
2d. Lieut.

Joseph Fay

Ensign

* After his report in the morning, on
hearing the fire, he recrossed the i-iver,

Col. Courtlandl's do.

Isaac Sperwood
William Monday

IstLieut.
2d Lieut.

and joined his regiment.

Col. Livingston's do.

John Davis

Captain

Col. Cook's do.

Jonathan Wadsworth
Zebula Bedwele
Aaron Kelsey
Asa Henman
Samuel Hart

Captain

Captain

Lieut.

Lieut.

Lieut.

Col. Lalimove's do.

Clark

Captain

One private taken.

Ciil. l?:iiley"s do.

Allen

Captain

Col. J. Livingston's do.

I'ranlenberf

Ensign

t A French gentleman volunteer.

*

Col. Weston's do.

Welch
Clap

IstLieut.
2d Lieut.

Col. Jackson's do.

Wiley

Ensign

Col. Mort;an's do.

Swearino-eni:

Captain

Ball

Captain

\ Taken prisoner, and afterwards ex-

Major Dearborn's do.

Itted

IstLieut.

changed for Captain A. Fraser.

l'"oster

Ensisrn

- — -

I

[D] Ji mum of Uand of Major-general Gates, between

L

REGllT

— 1 L

ificers,
ivates

MISSING.

Oncers.

n.c.offu

mits &j

) 9

22

46
24
17
21

7
39

9

8
1
4
3

8

218

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Col. Morgan' c
Major Dcarbj)

1

3

3;

Co

Cillcy's -(-?
Hale's • f]
ScaiTimel's ^
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H. Livin£;sto«
Cook's VI.C.;2
Liitimer's M^

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— 59

)12,
I 3:

1

3
2

— 217

4
4

1

General
Learn<'d''s
Brigade.

Bailey's 7
J. Livin^stor^
Weston's 2
Jckson's 0

Marshall's y

— 35
10

2

1 li

7 29

38 321

Sept.

21sf,
.KIN

1777.
SON, Z

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Poor's do.
Glover's do.
Patterson's do.
Learned's do.
Morgan's corps - •
Baldwin's l-'.ngineers and?
Artificers 5

3

H

MIUTIA.

Warner's brigade

Woolcott's

Schuyler's

be

bo
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coR^

MISSING,

JVumes.

lohn Moore

Col. Hale's do

Col. Scamme!

Col. Courtlan

Col. Livingsti
Col. Cook's c

Col. Lalimor
Col. Bailey's
Col. J. Livinj
Col. Weston'

Col. .Tackson
Col. Morgan
Major Deart:

REMARKS.

Of the non-commissioned, musit
and privates returned missing, fii
were killed.

* After his report in the raorning
hearing the fire, he recrossed the r:
and joined his regiment.

One private taken.

t A French gentleman volunteer.

+ Taken prisoner, and afterwards
changed for Captain A. Phaser.

/i'J Ji General tteturnor-general Horatio Gates,

mHH a flfiffftts, Oct.Alh, l777 •

It>

)ik iinil /'/

le

>NT1NFNTAL nUIOADES

AND coupy.

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r-

rlillcry - - '

309

16

4

360

xon's brigade • 1

854

1,38

297

139

o

1430

>()r's do. - - i

831

126

324

183

2

1466

over's do. - - 1

918

147

24:

171

1

1479

itterson's do. - i

732

92

226

244

6

1300

jarncd's do. - •

814

102

167

173

1

1257

orpin's corps

4r7

65

162

7

1

712

ildwiii's Kiigineers and")
Artificers 5

63
4998

2

7

72

Total

680

1441

940

17

8076

MILITIA.

''arner's brigade

1027

104

44

196

1372

'^oolcott'a

227

227

:hiiyler's

83?

101

933

Aggregate

7084

885

1485

1136

17

10607

\r B. 1 commissary of artilhe following militia officers, non-
missioned officers and privaineis, 5 lieutenant-colonels, 8 ma-
, 52 captainsj, 45 first lieiiteners, 6 surt'cons, 5 mates, 294 ser-

nts, 44 drums and fifes, 227^roops, and 4751 militia to defend

kcral Gates's camp.

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NAMES OF CORPS.

General Staff

Light Dragoons

Artillery

1st regt. Infantry

•9th do.

•nth do.

21st do

'22d do.

23d do.

•25lli do. ■

Canadian Volunteers

Pennsylvania do.

New York do.

APPENDIX.

No. I.

ROBERT SKINNER'S* WILL.

1, Robei't Skinner of Calvert county mercliant, at present in some good mea-
sure of healtli, but perfect in understanding-, praise be given to the Almii^bty
God, considering tlie brevity of man's life, and liow uncertain my time is here,
for the which cause and for divers other causes and considerations moving' me
hereunto, I judge it fit and convenient to make tliis my last will and testament,
in opposition to all former wills wiiatsoever, in manner and form following:

1 commit my body to the earth from whence it came, to be orderly and de-
cently buried, according to the discretion of my wife, and others who are con-
cerned; and for that estate which it hath pleased Cod to endow me with in thi»
world, (my just debts and funeral expenses discharged,)'! dispose of in manner
and form as foUoweth ;

Item, — I give and bequeash unto my eldest son, Robert Skinner, all myphn-
tation and tract of land called Ireland Neck, which at this time is unsold ordis-
posed of to iiirn, his heirs and assigns forever, also I give unto him the b.-d on
which he now licth, with the furniture thereunto belonging, with one manscote
chair, witii half of my carpenter's, joiner's and turner's tools, one peM ter dish,
with a large concordance of the bible, as also a joined table which is now at
Ireland Neck.

Item, — I give unto my daughter, M. Cary Letchworth, one suit cC child's bed
linen, one manscote cradle, one child's chair, and one book being Slater's Ex-
position upon the two Epistles of the Thessalonians. Item,— 1 give unto my
aforesaid daughter's first child, be it son or daughter, when it shall live to the
age of one year, a cow calf one year old, provided that- the father fetch it away
within one half year after, and record it for the child, with the increase both
male and female.

Item, — I give unto my second son, Clarke Skinner, to him, bis heirs, and as-
signs for ever, one tract of land called the Border, joining upon that which 1
live upon, with all that part or tract of land called the Reserve, upon which 1
now live, lying to the west of a certain great brancO, which expires in
that which was formerly called my calf pasture, at the head of which there is
a parcel of alders growing; and further, 1 give unto my said son Clarke, one
piece of land lying westward of that aforenamed branch, being part of a tract
of land called the Scraps, and further I give nrio him one cow and one cow
calf, as an addition to one heifer he hath already, and further I give to my son
Clarke half of my joiner's and carpentei's aid turner's tools, with my large
bible in folio and one of M'Cane's bibles. ^

Item,— I give unto my third son, WilliaW Skinner, to him, his heirs, and as-
signs for ever, all that tract of land lying on the west side of Patuxent river,

* The great grandfather of Jas. Wilkinson's grandmother, es parte patemS.
VOL. I. (a)

APPENDIX.

joining on IheQuosquo maior called the Hatchett, and one of M'Cane's bibles,
with Bishop Usher's Sum and Substance of the Christian Religion. Item, — I
give unto my young;er son, Adde^ton Skinner, all that part of the tract of land
called the Reserve, lying- to the east of the aforenamed branch, to liim, his heirs,
and assigns for ever, together with that part of my land called the Scraps, lyings
to the east of the said branch joining to that of the Reserve.

Item, — I give unto my said son, one of M'Cane's bibles, with one book call-
ed the Christian Dictionary. Item, — I give unto ray dear wife, Ann Skinner,
upon the conditions following, all my personal estate undisposed of, viz. all
debts, household goods and cattle, with all that may be called mine ; my will
and pleasure is, that my wife, in consideration of the premises abovementioned,
shall give unto my three sons, Clarke Skinner, William Skinner, and Addertoji
Skinner, to each and every one of them, three able sufficient men servants, for
time and term they come in for, not any one under four years; two to be deli-
verd to each of them when they shall attain the age of twenty years, and to
every of them one more when they shall come to the age of twenty -two years;
and secondly, my will and pleasure is, that the cattle that are now reputed my
children's, with all their female increase at my decease, shall remain good to
them, together with all the male increase from thenceforward ; and thirdly, my
will and pleasure is, ihat my children shall be educated, and brought forward
vlth learning, reading, wrUing and cyphering; fourthly, my will and pleasure
is, that the whole of said named three sons shall have the benefit of all their
owr. crops and labour, as they shall come to the age of fifteen years, to be dis-
posed of for their best advaoitage, by the advice of their guardian hereafter
named; and if it shall come to pass that either of my two sons, Clarke or Ad-
derton, shall die before they attain the age of one and twenty years, that then
the survivor or survivors shall have the deceased's land, and my son William
Skinner to have the deceased's servants and cattle ; and if it shall please God
that two or hU three of my sons should die before they come to the age of one
and twenty years, that then their lands, servants with stock, shall be equally
divided among my surviving children ; and furthermore, whereas my wife is joint
purchaser with me in the Iletierve, therefore, not knowing but vvjiat the eldest
of my three sous, or the second, in case the 'eldest should die, shall hereafter go
aliOut to vex, or disturb the youngest son Adderton, pretending right from
his mother in withholding the enjoyment, of what I have in this will given
him, my will and pleasure is, that the said Clarke or William shall have no be-
nefit by this my will, but their part v/holly to redound lo .\dderton, to him, his
heirs, and assigns hp ever; and finally, my will and pleasure is, that my son,
Robert Skinner whom! do constitute and appoint as guardian to my three young
gons, shall take caue \o place some one or other upon each of the tracts of
land given to my soi: William and son Adderton, that they may have homes
to go to when they shdl attain the age of twenty years, hoping that my wife,
who has her lite time ii. most of that which J have willed to my son Clarke,
■will be careful to promote hi;: interest for his encouragement in respect of a
dwelling; and if it shall please God that my son Robert should die, my will
jind pleasure is, that my two sonsjn-law, Thomas Greefield and Joseph Letch-
worth, shall be guardians in his place and stead, hoping that they will be care-
ful to see this my will accomplished in all respects, according to the true in-
tent and purpose thereof, for the confirming of this my last will and testament.

APPENDIX.

I have liereunto set my hand and seal, this eighth day of March, one thousand
six hundred and eighty-five.

[Seal.] ROBERT SKINNER.

Sijfned, sealed and delivered in the presence of
ROBERT HOLDSWORTH,
ARTHUR HORNER,
ELIZABETH CARNALL,
WILLIAM MORE.
December l.ltii, 1686, tlien came Arthur Horner before me and made oath
that he saw Robert Skinner sign, seal and deliver this witliin writinj;, as his
jfast will and testament, as witness my hand.

THOMAS BROOK.
December 2.jd, 168.6, then came William More and Elizabeth Carnall before
me and made oath, that they did 9ce Robert Skinner sign, seal and deliver the
within writing as his last will and testament, as witness my hand.

THOM.\S BROOK.
In testimony that the within is a true copy from the records of the
{"Seal.] orphan's court of Calvert county, I have hereunto set my hand

and affixed the seal of my office, this 10th day of April, 1811.
Test, JO. WILKINSON, Req. Jfills,

Calvert County.

No. H.

SAMUEL HOLDSWORTH'S* WILL.

In the came of God, Amen, the 10th day of December, anno domini ITIO, T,
Samuel Holdsworth of Calvert county, gentleman, being at this present time of
good health of body, and of sound and of perfect mind and memory, (.\lmighty
God be praised for the same) yet calling to mind the certainty cf death, and
that the thereof is most certain, do make and declare this my last will and tes-
tament in manner and form following: first ai;d principal!}-, being penitent and
aorry from the bottom of my heart for my siws pust, most humbly desiring for-
giveness of the same, I give and commit m\' soul into the hands of Almighty
God, that gave it, hoping through the merits, death, and passion of mine only
Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, to have free pardon and remissioH for the same;
my body I commit to the earth to be decently buried, at the discretion of my
executor hereafter named ; and as touching sucii estate as it hath pleased God
to bless me with all in this life, (after my just tl^bts are paid and satisfied,) I
give, bequeath, devise, and dispose of the same in manner and form following:

First, — I give and bequeath unto my son, Thomas Holdsworth, all that pl.^n-
tation and tract of land called Middle Puller, whereon I now live, together with
all houses now standing or !)eing thereon, or so st;inding or being at the time of
my decease; to have and to hold the same to him, tlie said Thomas Holds-
worth and the heirs of his body, lawfully begotten, Ibrever, and for the want
of such issue, I give and bequeath the same unto my sister, Ann Holdsworth,
and the heirs of her body forever, and for want of siicii issue, to the next lieir
and nearest of kindred, according to the common course of the law, subject
nevertheless to the provisions aini limitations hereinafter made and provided.

* The great grandfather of Jas Wilkinson's grandtnother, ex parte matcrna

APPENDIX.

Item. — I give nnd bequeath unto my said son Thomas, all my other tracts
and several parcels of land, and plantations which I am now possessed of,
within the province of Maryland, together with all houses, tobacco houses and
granaries, standing or being on the same, to have, and to hold the same, and
all and every part thereof unto him, the said Thomas Holdsworlh, his heirs,
and assigns forever, for their o«n proper use and behoof, sui)ject nevertheless
to the provisions hereinafter expressed ; and as touching my personal estate, I
give, devise, bequeath and order the same in manner following : first, I direct,
order and appoint that all the negroes that I now have, or am possessed of at
the time of my decease, shall be divided into three equal parts, one -third part
whereof, I give and bequeath unto Mrs. Elizabeth Buclcerfield, and her heirs
and assigns forever, and I do direct and order the same to be delivered into her
possession, within the space of one month after my decease, by my executor
hereafter named ; the other two-third parts I give and bequeath unto my said
son Thom.as, and to his heirs and assigns. Item. — I appoint, order and direct,
that all goods, wares and merchandises, tobacco growing or in the house, plate,
cash, debts within this province or elsewhere, tobacco in any warehouse or
hands in England, stock of hogs, horses, sheep or cattle, and all other my goods
or chatties whatsoever, (except by me in this last will and testament hereinaf-
ter otherwise bequeathed and disposed of,) be divided into three equal parts
or shares, one-third part whereof I give and bequeath unto the said Elizabeth
Buckerfield, and her heirs and assigns, to be delivered unto her in their seve-
ral kinds and species, as near as the same may be decided by my executor here-
after named, within one month after my decease, or as soon as the same may or
can possibly be done, and completed, according to my true intent and mean-
ing, without any delay. Item. — I order and appoint that Mrs. Elizatheth Buck-
erfield, after my decease, shall if she pleases, and at her election take to her
own use the furniture of the room she now lives in, and the chamber over that
as the same is now standing, (plate excepted as before divided,) she allowing
unto my said son Thomas, out of her own third part, before bequeathed unto
her, so much as the same shall be appraised at by two sworn appraisers; and I
do hereby further direct and order, that from and immediately after my de-
cease, she, the said Elizabeth Buckerfield, shall have the use and possession of
the said two rooms or chambers, to her own proper use, for, and during the
time of her natural life, and also necessary and suitable accommodations so
long as she shall think fit to stay and abide in the said house at the sole charg^
of my executor; and furthermore, T do hereby give and grant unto the said
Elizabeth Buckerfield, during the said term of her natural life, liberty to use,
employ, or work the several negroes hereby by me before bequeathed unto her,
upon any or every of my several plantations or land before mentioned, provid-
ed always and upon this condition, that she, the said Elizabeth Buckerfield,
shall live a single woman and unmarried, and that in case of her marriage
again, the use of the said two rooms and the liberty before granted on my seve-
ral plantations, to revert and come again to the said Thomas Holdsworth whol-
ly ; and it is my will and intent, that if the said Elizabeth Buckerfield, after
my decease, do remove to England or elsewaere, and not stay and abide here,
herself in person, she shall not grant or assigm her right to the said two rooms
or the land to any person or persons whatsoever; and further provided,
that if any marriage hereafter shall happen to be had and solemnised be-

APPENDfX.

tw^een mc and the said Elizabeth Buckerficld, then, and in such case, if the
said Elizabeth my wife, after my decease, shall make any other claim or de-
mand of any dower, or other part of my estate wliatsoever, more than is hereto-
fore and hereby to her bequeathed, tlien all and every tlie bequest hereby made
shall cease and be void, and the same shall come and descend unto my said son
Thomas, unto whom I give and bequeath the same. All my household Btiiff
whatsoever, not herein or hereby bequeathed, I do order and direct, shall be
brought to an appraisement; one-third part tiiereof I give unto the said Eliza-
beth Buckerfield, and the other two-third parts I give unto my said son Tho-
mas ; and I do hereby leave it to the choice and election of my executor, here-
after named, to pay the said one-third part unto the said Elizabeth Buckerfield
in money at the appraisement, or deliver her the one-thiid part of the goods
so appraised; and moreover, it is my will and desire, and I do hereby order and
appoint, that in case any dispute or difference should arise, or happen between
the said Elizabeth Buckerfield and my said son Thomas, relating to the divi-
sions of the said negroes or any other the goods or chatties before mentioned,
each of the said parties, within ten days after such dispute arising, shall choose
an indifferent person, and give notice of the same to the other, within the time
of ten days limited, which said two indifferent persons shall judge and deter-
mine the same between them, and he or her refusing to stand and abide such
judgment, shall forfeit and pay imto the other, out of his or her part or share of
the goods and chatties aforesaid, the sum of one hundred pounds sterling; and
farther yet, I do hereby declare and make known, that it is my will, true intent
and meaning, that if my said son Thomas shall marry as I shall think fit, he live
separate and apart from me; and it may be necessary and convenient for his
then immediate support and maintenance, to furnish and to deliver into his pos-
session any negroes or goods and chatties whatsoever, that so much as I shall
value and esteem the same worth, by making him debtor for the same, such
debts shall be accounted part of my estate, and shall be and go for such a part
of his two-third parts as the same shall amount to. And whereas, my brother,
.lohn Holds worth, is justly indebted to me by bond, bearing date some time since,
the sum of one hundred and twelve pounds, one shilling and three-pence, and
interest for several years past, I give and bequeath the same unto my sister, Ann
Holdsworth.and her children, named Charles, William and Martha, to be equal-
ly divided between them, and notwithstanding all the several before mentioned
bequests, it is my desire, if my said son Thomas should happen to die or de-
part this life before me, I direct and appoint my personal estate, before mention-
ed, in every part to be divided into two equal parts, one-half p.art or moiety
whereof, I give unto my said sister, Ann Holdsworth, and her said children, to
be equally divided between, and the other half part or moiety, I give unto the
said Elizabeth I'.uckerfield, and in such ease only. I make, name, ordain, and
appoint, the said Elizabeth Buckerfield full and sole executor of this mv last
will and testament. Item. — 1 give and bequeath unto my brotlier, John Holds-
worth, Captain Richard Smith, sen., Mr. Alexander Parran and Thomas John-
son, sen;, a ring of twenty shillings a piece. And finally, I do hereby make,
name, ordain, and appoint, my said son Thomas Holdsworth, fuU and sole exe-
cutor, of this my last will and testament, hereby revoking all former and other
wills by me heretofore at any time made, and appointing this to be, and stand
for, and as my only last will and testament. In witness whei-eof, I, the said

APPENDIX.

Samuel Holdsworth, have, to this my last will and testament, witnessed in the
fore,^oing seven sheets of paper and thus far of the eighth, to every sheet set my
hand, and to the first and last my seal, the day and year before written.

[Seal] SAMUEL HOLDSWORTH.

Sj^ned, sealed, published and declared, by the said Samuel Holdsworth, the
testator, as his last will and testament, in the presence of,
SAMUEL MALDIX,
WILLL\M CHRISSOP,
THOMAS JOHNSON.
Calvert County, ssct. On the 24th of February, I/'IO, personally appeared be-.
fore me, Richard Dallam, deputy commissary of Calvert county, Thomas John-
son, William Chrissop, two of the evidences to the foregoing- will, and severally
made oath on the holy evangelists of Almighty God, that they did see the afore-
said Samuel Holdsworth sign, seal, publish, and declare, the before going in
writing, of seven sides and part of the eight sides of paper as his last will and
testament, and that the inter-lines therein made was expressed before the sign-
ing and sealing tliereof, and that the time of sealing and publishing the same,
he, the said Samuel Holdsworth, was of sound and perfect mind and memory.

RICHARD DALLAM, D. C. Calvert County.
In testimony that the within is a true copy from the records of the
j»Seal.3 orphan's court of Calvert county, 1 have hereunto set my hand

and affixed the seal of my office, this 10th day of April, 1811.
Test. JO. WILKINSON, Ee^. Wills, Calvert Couniv.

No. HI.

JAMES HEIGIIE'S* WILL.

In the name of God, Amen. I, James Heighe of All Saints parish. In Calvert
county, Maryland, gentleman, being of sound mind and memory, do make and
ordain this my last will and testament, in manner and form following: first, I com-
mend my soul into the hands of God, who gave it, depending entirely on the
merits of my Saviour, Jesus Christ, for the remission of my sins, and accept-
ance with his, and my heavenly father; and my body I commit to the earth, to
be decently and christianly interred, hoping for the resurrection thereof to eter-
nal life ; at the discretion of my executors, hereafter named, and as touching
all my vvrorldly, real, and personal estate, I give and dispose as foUoweth, viz.

Imprimis. — I will that all my just debts and funeral expenses be duly paid,
and satisfied. Item. — I will and bequeath unto my son, James Heighe, and his
heirs, four young negroes, named Ben, Nanny, Lucy and Maria, and also James
and Hannah, son and daughter of Jenny and Will, with one feather bed and fivr-
niture, to be delivered to him at the age of eighteen years. Item. — I give and
bequeath unto my daughter Allhea, one feather bed and furniture, to be deli-
vered to her at the age of sixteen, or day of marriage, which shall first happen.

Item I give and bequeath unto my loving wife, Ann Heighe, all my now

dwelling plantation during her natural life, that is to say, the whole breadth of
my land on the bay side, to the eastward of the creek, and branch of Plumb
point, and farther my will is, that my said wife, as long as she continueth a
widow, shall possess, enjoy and occupy, and have to her own use and benefit all
my other lands till my son James Heighe attain to the age of eighteen years.

* The great great grandfather of Jas. Wilkinson.

APPENDIX.

Item.— I give and beqaeatli unto my son James Hciglie, his heirs forever,
lawfully begotten of his body, all my lands, and in case of fuliure of sucb l.eirsi
then my mind and will 19, that all my lands aforesaid, shall be equally divided'
into two equal parts, and portions, between my daughter Alihca, and my two
grand sons James Tongue and James Hourne,and further my will and meaning
is, that after the division of said lands is made, my daughter Alihea shall have
her first choice, to have and to hold that moiety she chooses, to her and her
heirs for ever, and Uie other half to be divided between my two grandsons
James Tongue and James Bourne into equal parts or portions, to be enjoyed by
ihcm and their heirs for ever, but in case of failure of heirs of my grandson.
Tames Tongue, then my will is, that his moiety of land be enjoyed and possess-
ed, by my daughter Alihea and her heirs for ever.

^ Item.— 1 give and bequeath unto my daughters, Elizabeth and Mary, ten
pounds current money of England, for cadi, as a token of my fatherly affection
lowards them.

Item— I will and bequeath unto my two grandsons James Tongue and James
Bourne, to each of them one-tenth part of my personal estate, after my debts
and legacies are satisfied. Item.-My will and mind is, that all the rest and
residue of my personal estate not d-spost-d of by this will, be eq-ially divided
between my lovin.< wile, my son James and daughter Althea; and lastly, 1 will,
ordam, and appoint my loving wife, whole and sole executor, of this my
last will and testament, hereby revoking all other will or wills by me heretofore
made. Item.— Further to shew my paternal care and love to my children I do
will and appoint my son-in-law, Sabret Sellers, as trustee to look after and take
care of my son James's and daughter Althca's estates, until they come to age
and also to take it into his possession in case of danger of any waste either of the
lands or personal estate, and my desire is, that my son James and daughter \I
thea, be, and remain under the care and direction of my said trustee, immediate
ly after the decease of my loving wife, Ann Heighe, until they come to their
respective ages to possess and enjoy their estates themselves, and this I desire
may be considered as part of my last will and testament, bearing date the twenty-
sixth day of July, anno domini, one thousand seven hundred twenty and five in'
witness whereof, I set my hand and seal^he day and date above written. '

t^^^'^ JAMES HEIGHE.

Signed, sealed, and declared, in the presence of hs,
ROBERT FREELAND,
JAMES MOLDKN,
EUZABETH ALLEN.
J2th November, 1725, came, Robert Freeland and James Molden, two of the
subscribing evidences, and declared according to law, ih.at they saw the testa-
tor sign, seal, and deli%er this to be his last will and testament, and at the time
of his so doing he was sound in mind, and in perfect memory to the best of ei-
ther of their knowledge, that Elizabeth Allen was present at the same time and"
see the same. Before,

WM. SMITH. Dep. Com. for Calvert County.
In testimony th.it the within is a true copy from the records of the
[SiAi.;i orphan's court of Calvert county, I have hereunto set my hand

and affixed the seal of my office, this 10th day of April, 181 J
Test JO. WILKINSON, Ji^g. mils, Calvert County.

APPENDIX.-

No. IV.

JOSEPH WILKINSON'S WILL.

In the name of God, Amen. I, Joseph Wilkinson of Calvert county, in tlie
province of Maryland, merchant, being in a bad state of health, but of sound
and disposing- mind and memory, do make this my last will and testament, in
manner and form following, viz. Imprimis. — I recommend my soul to its crea-
tor hoping for pardon and remission of all mine offences ; my body I desire
may be buried in a decent manner at the discretion of my executors, hereafter
named. Item. — I give to my brother-in-law, Mr. John Skinner, an handsome
suit of mourning, and a mourning ring of 20s. sterling price. Item. — I give
and bequeath to my dear and loving wife, a full third part of all my personal
estate, of what nature or kind soever, consisting, to wit, money or tobacco in
England or elsewhere, goods in store, cash in hand, debts out-standing, slaves,
servants, cattle, plate, household goods, and every other thing whatsoever.
Item* — I give and bequeath to my daughter Elizabeth, one other full third part
of my personal estate as aforesaid. Item. — I give and bequeath to my son Jo-
seph, the remaining third part of my estate as aforesaid, but my will is, that if
my wife be now with child or children, that then the two-thirds of my personal
estate, so given and bequeathed to my daughter and son above named, be equal-
ly divided share and share alike, between such child or children to be born,
and those now in being. Item. — I do nominate, and appoint my said wife exe-
cutrix, of this my last will and testament, but in case of her death, I do then
make my said brother-in-law, John Skinner, executor thereof, and I will that he
be then guardian to my children, not doubling his utmost care of their persons,
education and fortune. Lastly, I do hereby revoke, and utterly make void, all
other or former wills by me ever made ; and in testimony that the writing con-
tained in this half sheet of paper, is my last will and testament, I have signed,
sealed, published and declared the same to be, in the presence of the witnesses
hereto attesting and subscribing, this twenty-fifth, day of April, anno domini,
17S4.

[Seal.] ^ ^ JO. WILKINSON.

Signed, sealed, published, and declared, in presence of us,
JOHN SMITH,
JOSEPH THORNTON,
ROGER BOYCE,
ALEXANDER LAWSON.
Calvert County, ss. July, 1735, came Roger Boyce and Alexander Lawson,
two of the subscribing witnesses to the within will, and made oath on the holy
evangelists of Almighty God, that they saw the testator Joseph Wilkinson sign
and seal, and heard him publish, pronounce, and declare, the within instrument
of writing as his last will and testament, and that at the time of his so doing,
he was, to the best of their knowledge and apprehension, of sound and perfect
memory and understanding. Sworn to before me,

GABRIEL PARKER, Dep, Com. Calvert County.
In testimony that the within is a true copy from the records of the
rSzAi,.] orphan's court of Calvert county, I have hereunto set my hand
and affixed the seal of my office, this 13th day of April, 1811.
Test, JO. WILKINSON, Reg. Wells, Calvert County.

APPENDIX.

No. V.

EXTRACTS FROM THE TRIAL OF CAPTAIN TREAT.

I premise the following documents from Captain Treat's trial, before a gene-
ral court martial appointed by M;:j. Gen. Brown, on the charge of " ccrwardice
before the eiiemt/," produced by the said Major-general, that my readers may be
enabled to comprehend the motives of his address to President Madison, and
calch a glance at Ihe brutal and dishonourable conduct of Major-general Brown
which produced it. It is high time for the friends of liberty and justice to
arouse from their lethargy, wher^ such acts of despMiism are tolerated, and
such oppressive measures are sanctioned by a chief magistrate of the union.
With this letter of Captain Treat, the proceedings of the general court martial
were submitted to President Madison, and of course the whole transaction wa»
before him.

GENERAL ORDERS.

Adjutant General's Office, Chippeway, July 5th, 1814.
A transaction degrading to the command, occurred under the Major-gene-
ral's eye this morning.

Captain Treat's attempts to excuse himself, in that his detachment was a re-
turn picket, makes the thing worse.

Captain Treat shall no longer serve in the 21st regiment; nor in this division
during the campaign.

By order of Major-general Brown.

(Signed) C. K. GXRWHER, Adjutant Genera!.

Extracts from General BrovnCs official report of the battle of Chippev>ay, dated 7th

July, 1814.

Early on the morning of the 5th (July) the enemy commenced a petty war
upon our pickets, and as he was indulged, his presumption increased ; by noon
he shewed himself on the left of our exterior line, and attacked one of our pick-
ets as it was returning to camp.

Captain Treat, who commanded it, retired disgracefully, leaving a wounded
man on the ground. Captain Blddle, of the artillery, impelled by feelings high-
ly honourable to him as a soldier and officer, promptly assumed the command
of this picket, led it back to the wounded man, and brought him off the
field.

I ordered Captain Treat, on the spot, to retire from the army, and as I am
anxious that no officer shall serve under my command, who can be suspected

of cowardice, I advise that Captain Treat and Lieutenant ,* who was also

with the picket, be struck from the rolls of the army.

Sentence of the Court.
The court having heard the evidence and the defence of the prisoner, 4s
above, directed the room to be cleared, and proceeded to pronounce sentence.

• The copy is exact, the name of Lieutenant .Mm-ro-u.', was omitted ; but he
had a brother member of Congress,- nevertheless, the conduct of the Lieutenant
was beyond reproach or suspicion.

VOX. I. [b]

APPENDIX.

After mature deliberation on the testimony adduced, the court find the ac-
cused, Captain Joseph Treat, of the 21st infantry, 7iot giiilty of the charge or
specification preferred against him— and bo uonoubablt At'auix him.

The above is a true copy from the original.

WM. ANDERSON, Lieut. 18th inf. & Judge Advocate.

Approval of the Setitence.
Adjutant General's Office, Sackett's ffarbour,5d Juli/jlSlS.

After mature deliberation, the court find the accused. Captain Joseph Treat,
of the 21st regiment, not guilty of the cbarg^c oi specification preferred against
him, and do honourably acquit him.

Taking into consideration all the circumstances relating to Captain Treat's
case. Major-general Brown believes it to be his duty to approve the sentence of
the court. But he embraces this opportunity to say, that he has never seen an
instance of American soldiers, such as Captain Treat's command, abandoning
their officers in the face of an enemy. This is not the character of the soldiers
our country breeds. So far as the experience of the Major-general goes, they
have ever stood by their officers, so long as their officers were disposed to stand
by their colours or their honour.

It would appear, however, from the testimony before the court, that the men
composing the picket guard, commanded by Captain Treat, on the morning of
the 5th July, 1814, were an exception to the general rule, and therefore he is
honourably acquitted.

I certify that the above is a correct copy of the original, handed into this
office.

BENJ. F. LARNED, Acting Assis-t. Adj. General.

Sackett's Harbour, July 6th, 1815.
We, the undersigned, officers of the late 21st regiment United States infan-
try, having served during the late war, with Captain Joseph Treat, of the same
regiment, bear testimony to the correctnessof his conduct as an officer; to the
uniformity of his deportment as a gentleman, and to his firmness and courage
on every occasion in which be has met the enemy.

JOSIAH H. VOSE, late Major 2lst infantry.

SULLIVAN BURBANK, brevet Major 2Ut infantry.

P. PELHAM, Captain 2lst infantry.

BENJ. F. LAUNED, brevet Captain 21sl inftmtry.

JOHN W. HOLDING, brtvet Captain 2Ut infantry.

Portsmouth, JV-*. //. August 25th, 1815.
Sir. — I have received and read the report of your trial before a general court
martial, on the charges whicli appeared against you in General Brown's official
account of tlie battle of Chippeway. Having witnessed your gallant conduct at
Chrystler's field, but a few months before ; and having always considered you
as an attentive and vigilant officer, nothing could have surprised me more than
the exhibition of such charges against you. I am happy to find they were with-

APPENDIX.

out foundation. The result of this long sought for investigation is no less gra-
Vifying to your brotlier officers than it j» honourable to yourself

Accept, Sir, the assurance of my rcspi-ct and esteem,

T. UPHAM, Lt. Col. lute 2Ut regimmt.
Captain Joseph Treat, Boston.

\ To James Madison, President of the United States.

Sir.— To whom can I so properly inscribe the followinfj sheets, as to your-
self? since the abuse wliich compels me to appeal to your justice, and the pub-
lic sympathy reached me through the medium of a commission, signed by your
hand, and conferred upon me without solicitation.

The fitness of the application will I hope supercede the necessity of an apo-
logy for the intrusion, and secure your approbation of the trespass I make on
your time.

To you it will not be improper to remark, what may be well applied to every
fellow citizen ; that Uie rights of persons and of property, and the very exist-
ence of the republic, depend on the inflexible maintenance of the letter of the
constitution and the law. Admit a I; ktude of construction for the extension of
power, and you throw down the barriers of the public safety, and insensibly
mould the palladium of our liberties, into that form which may best suit the
grasp of ambition.

It is not for redress of my personal injuries, however unmerited and extreme,
that I have ventured to intrude the recital of those injuries on your attention ;
proved as they have been by testimony on which a military tribunal has vindi-
cated my honour ; but it is to warn you of the perfidy, the violence, and usur-
pation, of which the officer is capable, whom blind fortune has imposed on you
for the chief of the national militai-y force ; that you may assert the supremacy
of the laws, and prevent the recurrence of similar outrages, on the rights of
those who have the right to look up to you for protection.

Every encroachment on the laws, however minute, is a step toward despot-
ism ; and therefore, the slightest infraction of them should be instantaneously
checked j or the precedents of yesterday, may become laws to-day, and politi-
cal expediency may readily be converted into stilts for power to-morrow ;
mounted on which, those, who administer the government, may trample the go-
verned into the dust.

The articles of war clearly define the few rights of a soldier, and these ought
to be stedfastly guarded, as well by a strict observance of the compact with
the state, as by that chaste sense of delicacy and honour, which has been con-
sidered the peculiar attnbute of military rnen ; but if a military chief, to gra-
tify his caprice or resentment, or to blazon forth his character for sensibilities
to which he is a stranger, can rob a subordinate of his sword, and expel him
from his legitimate corps, then military tribunals become superfluous; by the
same exertion of power he may make appointments to command, and thus save
the President of the United States the responsibility of nominating, and the
Senate that of confirmation.

Or, if a military chief may, •with impunity, suspend an officer from command,
on a groundless pretext, and, disdaining all explanation, promise him a court
of inquiry into his conduct; if he may, after making such promise, prejudge
the object of his blind >vrath, and in an official despatch recommend that he

APPENDIX.

should be arbitrarily stricken from the honourable rolls of the army, without a
hearing-, and in violation of the sacred charter of the land; if, when pressed for
the promised inquiry, the chief, to elude it, should, by his official organ, inform
the applicant that he was not on the rolls, and could not have an inquiry : if,
on the declaration of this injured officer, that in the alternative of being refus-
ed an inquiry, he should apply to the secretary of war for redress, this chief,
dreading the appeal, should suddenly shift his ground, again recognise as an
Officer, the subject of his vengeance, and abandoning the inquiry, which he had
repeatedly promised, should charge him witli an infamous crime, and cause
him to be arrested : if the arrested officer, unaffected by this menace, remain-
ing firm to his purpose, should be peremptorily ordered for trial on the 3d of
October, 1814, before a general court martial then in session at Fort Erie, and
yet should not be able to procure a copy of the charge on which he was to be
arraigned, until the 12ih of the same month, on which day said court was dis-
solved, and he still continued in arrest: if, after repeated subsequent applica-
#ons for a hearing, this arrested officer could not obtain a trial until the 5th of
April, 1815, although several general courts martial had been holden during the
interval : if, after all these arbitrary delyvs and denials of justice ; after the de-
nunciation of tlie chief (on the 5th of July, nine months before) who held up
his subordinate as a spectacle of reproach to the army, and a subject of vilifi-
cation to licentious prints; after depriving him of all participation in the scenes
of glory which awaited his comrades in arms : I repeat, Sir, if after these mul-
tiplied privations, indignities, and wrc-ngs, the proceedings of the general court
martial, before which this officer was tried, should not furnish a shadow of
cause for his arrest ; and if by a solemn court of law and honour, selected by the
accuser himself, the injured citizen should be honourably acquitted of the foul
offence imputed to him, by the author of his wrongs ; then, I will most respect-
fully inquire, what is the effect- of the law, and where is the security to the
feelings or fame, the rights or interests of subordinate officers, against the out-
rages of ignorance and brutality ? The facts are before you, and the decision
must rest upon your own mind.

But it cannot be overlooked. Sir, that in a government whose venality and
corruption, has long been a popular theme, the hand of criminal justice seized
on a military commander, for inflicting an arbitrary punishment on a non-com-
missioned officer, and that Governor Wall, in spite of wealth and patronage, for
this crime, expired on a gibbet.

Removed from the ranks of honour, and smarting under the sense of the
wrongs I have suffered ; I hope I may be excused for invoking your attention
to the fundamental interests of the people, over whom you have been called to
preside, involved as they have been in a case so extraordinary in a free com-
monwealth.

Suffer not pretensions to services, nor military rank and ecla.t,—by -whatever
means attained, to sanction despotic rule, or screen the oppressor from merited
punishment. In your hands I must hope the fountain of justice will continue
undefiled; that men elevated to stations high and honourable, in trust for a
young and gloriwus nation, will feel themselves bound to preserve its purity by
their vigilance, and at every hazard and every sacrifice, transmit the rich inhe-
ritance to posterity; nor permit the source to be polluted, because too soon the
poison will be diffused to the remotest streams, and then the blood of oUt fa-
thers will have flowed without effect, and we shall have lived in vain.

APPENDIX.

With the best wishes for your fame and huppinest, and for ibe honour, proi-
perity, independence, and justice of our country,

I remain, Sir, with high consicieralion and respect, yoDr most obedient hum-
ble servant,

JOSEPH TREAT, (late) Capt. 2Ut inf. U.S. arm;/.

No. VI.

MEMORIAL OF JAMES WILKINSON.

To James JMadison, President of the United States, the memorial of Major -general
James fVilhinson, -with the highest deference and respect, sets forth

That after thirty years of faithful military service, your memorialist has the
misfortune to find himself the only individual of the nation interdicted from
drawing his sword in its defence; and this, at a conjuncture when his native,
country has been invaded, and its capital ravaged, by a vindictive and power-
ful enemy; at a time when every head, heart, and hand, should be engaged iri
tjle common cause, to sapport the government, and defend the sea-coast from
desolation.

That your memorialist, conscious of the rectitude of his own views and in-
tentioilB, has suffered severely in hR feeling, from the situation in which he has
been placed ; but in the present eventful moment, he believes it to be his duty
to repress every thought, which would apply exclusively to himself, and to
give every exertion of his mind and body, to the service of his country. He
will not therefore, at this critical juncture, ask of the President, that which for
himself he most wishes, to wit, an immediate trial, because he is aware it may
not be in the President's power to grant such a request with propriety ; but he
most ardently prays, that during the present exigency, the arrest, under which
he has been placed, may be suspended, and that he may be permitted to resume
his command, and serve his beloved country with his best abilities ; relying al-
ways on the justice of the President, to revive his arrest as soon as it can with
propriety be done, and thereby afford to your memorialist the earliest possible
opportunity of vindicating his own honour, putting his accusers to shame, and
justifying himself to his country.

Your memorialist ventures to submit his hard case to your consideration, be-
cause he has no other appeal, and whilst he deeply regrets the intrusion, he
hopes the occasion may excuse the trespass.

JAMES WILKINSON, Major-general.
Fountaine Rock, JVashin^ton Countii, Maryland, Sept. 15th, 1814.

No. VII.

LETTER FROM GOVERNOR ZUNIGA TO GOVERNOR CLAIBORNE.

Pensacola, July I2th, 1812.

Sir. — On the 5tli inst. I arrived at this place, to take charge of the province,

by order of his excellency the captain-general of the island of Cuba and both

Floridas. 1 have scarcely taken charge of said command, when I am informed

by a letter of the commanding officer at Mobile, bearing date of yesterday, that

APPENDIX.

the American flag was hoisted up at Rio Pescado, and that the day before, at
half past eleven o'clock A. M. there arrived at Dolphin island two armed boats,
the people of which landed, and at twelve o'clock they hoisted up the American
flag, intimating to the dstachment there, that, in case they should not with-
draw, within four days, they would be made prisoners, extending even that in-
timation to the pilot, who was cautioned, that if he should aid any Spanish or
English vessel, he would be sent to New Orleans. This news has astonished
me the more, that I have no information that the United States have declared
war against Spain, and that your excellency should carry the thing so far, as to
continue the aggressions committed in this part of the possessions of the king
my master, Kl Senior Don Fernando, the seventh of Bourbon, insulting with te-
merity his arms, by taking possession of a territory which by no title belongs
to your government. Under these circumstances, and in consequence of the
responsibility which my duty imposes upon me, I am compelled to inforni
your excellency, that the United States have invaded in this province a part
of the territories of my sovereign, and have possessed themselves thereof with-
out any other title than their will.

The United Stales, from the moment they took possession of Louisiana, have
despoiled Spain of her indisputable right to the free navigation of the Missis-
sippi river.

The United States, forgetting the steps made at several times by means of
their agents, in order to be permitted to carry some goods and provisions to
the fort Stoddert, and the presents destined for the Chactaw Indians, have, by
tiieir own private authority, adjudged to themselves the free use of the waters
of the rivers Tombigbee and Alabama.

The United States have claimed the right of passing on said waters, and be-
fore the fort of Mobile, with ammunition and warlike stores, without demand-
ing nor obtaining, as prescribed by our military laws, the license from his ex-
cellency the captain-general of these provinces; and finally, without mentioning
other breaches of what has been stipulated and agreed upon in a solemn treaty,
and other cases in which the United States have forgotten the services which
they have received from Spain, in promoting their independence, your excel-
lency has just made an hostile step, insulting the arms of the king my master,
by taking possession of a property which does not belong to them of right nor
in fact.

Your excellency may rest assured, that in case that you should not give the
proper orders that your troops and agents mny withdraw from the invaded
countries, for which invasion I do solemnly protest agamst the injury made to
the integrity of the territory of my sovereign, and if the aggressions ai'e car-
ried on, the Spanish oiRcers will fulfil their duty, and apposing all the resist-
ance which the commander will require, the Spanish arms shall be exerted to
assert the rights of the crown.

The result in sucii a case will, no doubt, be that there will be blood spilled,
and that the good liarmony which has existed till this day, between our respec-
tive nations, will be disturbed; but as the party respecting the offence, was
never considered as tlie aggressor, your excellency will not be able to justify
yourself before God nor man, of all the fatal consequences which may ensue.

God preserve your excellency many years. Sir.

(Signed) MAURICIO DE ZUNIGA

To his Excellency WilUam C. C. Claiborne.

APPENDIX.

No. viir.

FROM GEN. VAN RENSSELLAER TO MAJOR-GENERAL DEARDORN.

Head Quarleru, Lewiatown, October 14</j, 1812.
Sir. — As the movements of this army under my command, since I had the
last the honour to address you on the 8th, liave been of a very important cha-
racter, producing consequences serious to many individuals; establishing facts
actually connected with the interest of the service, and the safety of the army;
and as I stand prominently responsible for some of these consequences, I beg
leave to explain to you. Sir, and through you to my country, the situation and
circumstances in which I have had to act, and the reasons and motives which
governed me; and if the result is not all that might have been wished, it it
such that, when the whole ground shall be viewed, / shall cheerfulhj eubmit my-
self to the jtidffment of my country.

In my letter of the 8th instant, I apprised you that the crisis in this campaign
was rapidly advancing; and that (to repeat the same) "the blow must be sooti
struck, or all the toil and expense of the campaign ^o for nothing, for the -whole -will
be tinged luith dishonour."

Under such impressions, I had on the 5lh instant written to Brigadier-gene-
ral Smyth, of the United States forces, requesting an interview with him, Ma-
jor-general Hall, and the commandants of regiments, for the purpose of confer-
ring upon the subject of future operations. I wrote Major-general Hall to the
same purport. On the 11th, had received no answer from General Smyth;
but in a note me of the 10th, General Hall mentioned that General Smyth had
not. yet then, agreed upon any day, for the consultation.

In the mean time, tlie partial success of Lieutenant Elliott at Black Rock (of
which, however, I have received no official information) began to excite a
strong disposition in the troops to act. This was expressed to me through va-
rious channels, in the shape of an alternative ,- tliat they must ii;ne orders to act
or at all hazards they looidd go home. I forbear, here, commenting upon the
obvious consequences, to me personally,of longer withholding my orders under
such circumstances.

I had a conference with , as to the possibility of getting some person

to pass over to Canada, and obtain correct information. On the morning of the
4lh, he wrote to me that he had procured the man, who bore his letter, to go
over. Instructions were given him; he passed over; obtained such informa-
tion, as warranted an immediate attack. This was confidentially communicat-
ed to several of my first officers, and produced great zeal to act ; more espe-
cially as it might have a controlling effect upon the movement at Detroit,
where, it was sujjposed, that General Brock had gone with all the force he
dared to spare from the Niagara frontier. The best preparations in my power,
were, therefore, made to dislodge the enemy from the heights of Qucenstown,
and possess ourselves of the village; where the troops might be sheltered from
the distressing inclemency of tlie weather.

Lieutenant-colonel Fioming's flying artillery, and a detachment of regular
troops, under his command, were ordered to be up in season from Fort Niaga-
ra. Orders were also sent General Smyth, to send down from Ruffaloe, such
detachment of his brigade as existing circumstances in that vicinity might

APPENDIX.

warrant. The attack was to be made at 3 o'clock, on the morning of the lltb, by
crossing over in boats from the old ferry opposite the heights. To avoid any em-
barrassment in crossing the rivpr, (which is here a sheet of violent eddies) ex-
perienced boatmen were procured to take the boats, from the landing below to
the place of embarkation, Lieutenant Sim was considered the man of the great-
est skill for this service ; he went ahead, and in the extreme darkness, passed
the intended place far up the river ; and there in a most extraordinary manner,
fastened his boat to the shore and abandoned the detachment. In this front
ioat he had carried nearly all the oars, luhich were prepared fur the boats. In this
agonising dilemma stood oiRcers and men, whose ardour had not been cooled
by exposure, through the night, to one of the most tremendous north-east
storms, which continued unabated, for twenty-eight hours, and deluged the
whole camp. Colonel Van Rensselaer was to have commanded the detachment.

After this result, I had hoped the patience of the troops would have conti-
nued, until I could submit the plan suggested in my letter of the 8th, that I
might act under, and in conformity to the opinion which might be then ex-
pressed. But my hope was idle ; the previously excited ardour seemed to have
gained new heat from the late miscarriage ; the brave were mortified to stop
short of their object, and the timid thought laurels half won by the attempt.

<pn the morning of the 12th, such was the pres^re upon me from all quar-
ters, that I became satisfied that my refusal to act, might involve me in suspi-
cion and the service in disgrace.

Lieutenant-colonel Christie, who had just arrived at the Four Mile Creek,
had late in the night of the first contemplated attack, gallantly offered me his
awn and his mens' services ; but he got my permission too late. He now again
came forward, had a conference with Colonel Van Rensselaer, and begged that
he might have the honour of a command in the expedition. The arrangement
was made. Colonel Van Rensselaer was to command one column of 300 mili-
tia; and Lieutenant-colonel Christie a column of the same number of regular
troops.

Every precaution was now adopted as to boats> and the most confidential
and experienced men to manage them. At an early hour in the night. Lieute-
nant-colonel Christie marched his detachment, by the rear road, from Niagara
to camp. At 7 in the evening, Lieutenant-colonel Stranahan's regiment, moved
from Niagara falls ; at 8 o'clock. Mead's — and at 9, Lieutenant-colonel Blan's
regiment marched from the same place. All were in camp in good season.
Agreeably to my orders issued upon this occasion, the two columns were to
pass over together ; as soon as the heights should be carried, Lieutenant.colo-
nel Fenwick's flying artillery was to pass over ; then Major MuUany's detach-
ment of regulars ; and the other troops to follow in order.

Colonel Van Rensselaer with great presence of mind, ordered his officers to
proceed with rapidity, and storm the fort. This service was gallantly per-
formed, and the enemy driven down the hill in every direction. Soon after
this, both parties were considerably reinforced, and the conflict was renewed
in various places. Many of the enemy took shelter behind a stone guard house,
where a piece of ordnance was now briskly served. I ordered the fire of our
battery to be directed upon ths guard house ; and it was so effectually done,
that with 8 or 10 shot the fire was silenced. The enemy then retreated behind
a large stone house ; but in a short time the route became general, and the

APPENDIX.

enemy's fire was silenced, except from a one gun battery, so far down the river
as to be out of the reach of our heavy ordnance ; and our lighi pieces could not
silence it. A number of boats noxv passed over, unannoyed except by ihe one
unsrlenccd gun. For some time afier I passed over, the victory appeared com-
plete ; hut in the expectation of furtlier attacks, I was takmg measures for for-
tifying my camp immediately; the direction of this service I committed to
Lieutenant Toltcn of the engineers. B'lt very soon the enemy were reinforced
by a detachment of several hundred Indians from Chippewa; they commenced
a furious attack ; but were promptly met and routed by ihe rifle and bayonet.
By this time I perceived. my troops were embarking very slowly. I passed
immediately over to accelerate their movements; but to my utter astonish-
ment, I found, that at the very moment when complete victory was in our
hands, the ardour of the unengaged troops had entirely subsided. I rode In
all directions ; urged the men by every consideration to pass over— but in vain.
Lieutenant-colonel Bloom who hud been wounded in action, returned, mounted'
his horse, and rode through the camp; as did also Judge Peck, who happened
to be here, exhorting the companies to proceed— but all in vain.

At this time a large reinforcement from Fort George, was discovered coming
up the river. As the battery on the hill was considered an important check
against their ascending the heights, measures were immediately taken to send
them a fresh supply of ammunition, as I learnt there were left only 20 shot fop
the 18 pounders. The reinforcements, however, obliqued to the right from the
road, and formed a junction with the Indians, in the rear of the heights. Find-
ing to my infinite mortification, that no reinforcement would pass over ; seeing
that another severe conflict must soon commence ; and knowing that the brave
men at the heights, were quite exhausted, and nearly out of ammunition ; all I
could do, was to send them a fresh supply of cartridges. At this critical mo-
ment, 1 despatched a note to General Wadsworlh acquainting him with our si-
tuation : leavmg the course to be pursued much to his own judgment, with a-:-
surance that if he thought best to retreat, I would endeavour to send as many
boats, as I could command, and cover his retreat by every fire I could safely
make. But the boats were dispersed; many of the boatmen had fled, panic
struck; and but few got ofi". My note, however, could but little more than
have reached General W. about 4 o'clock, when a most severe and obstinate
conflict commenced, and continued about half an hour, with a tremendous fire
of cannon, flyuig artillery and musketry. The enemy succeeded in re-possess-
mg the.r battery, and gaining advantage on every side ; the brave men who had
gained the victory, exiiausted of strength and ammunition, and griered at the
unpardonable neglect of their fellow soldiers, gave up the conflict.

I can only add that the victory was reallt, -ami ,■ but lost, for the want of a small
reinforcement; one-third part of the idle men might have saved all.
I have the honour to be, &c.

STEPHEN VAN PENSSEL.iET?

ffon. IVilHam Eusdn, Secrefam of War.

vol. }.

(0

APPENDIX.

No. IX.

TES'ILMONY OF COLONEL LEAVENWORTH.-

Delhi, January 15th, 1815.

Dear Sii-. — At your request I send you a statement of facts which transpired
under my view during the action at tlie falls of Niagara on the 25th of July
last. By this, you will be able to ascertain, if ray attendance and testimony
will be material at your Court of Enquiry, and hope you will think it may be
dispensed with.

On that day the left division of the Northern Army lay at Chippewa, on the
south side of that creek, except the ninth regiment, which was posted in and
near the Block-House, on the north side of the Chippewa, near the junction of
that creek with the Niagara, in advance towards the enemy. It was my lot to
be the officer of the day. During the day, the Captain commanding picket
No. 1, on tlie Niagara road, informed me he had discovered tlie advance of the
enemy to consist of one troop of the 19th light dragoons, and two companies
of infantry.

With a glass, which was at tlie picket, the enemy were plainly seen across
the bend in the river, at and near the falls. They were at the house of Mrs-
Wilson near the falls, and many officers in British uniform were to be seen.
These facts were immediatelj^ related at head quarters. I was told tlie enemy
could not be in force, as they had thrown a large portion of their forces across
the Niagara, from Queenstown to Lewistown. It was apprehended to be ^le
intention of the Aemy to advance up the river on the American side, to
Schlosser, where our sick, ammunition, and other stores, then were. Not hav-
ing the means either of transporting these stores to the west side of the river,
or troops to the other side to defend them, General Scott was ordered to march
immediately to Queenstown, with a view to induce the enemy to recross the
Niagara. I was immediately relieved as officer of the day, and ordered by Ge-
nerBl Scott to put my regiment, without delay, in light marching order. This
order was obeyed. And in less than fifteen minutes. General Scott's brigade,
with Towson's company of artillery, and Captain Harris with a troop of U. S.
and volunteei" dragoons were on their march for Queenstown. Having proceed-
ed down the river about two miles and an half, we came in sight of the ene-
my's advance. General Scott now halted his column, which I ought to have
before stated consisted (in addition to those stated) of the ninth regiment, and
which I had the honour to command. The eleventh regiment commanded by
Lieutenant-colonel (then Major) M'Neil, the 22d regiment commanded by Co-
lonel Brady, and the 25th regiment commanded by Colonel (then Major) Je-
sup, amounting in all, according to the best estimate I can now make, to about
700 men. The ninth consisted at that time of 150 rank and file.

The enemy immediately began to retire before us : but from the informa-
tion of the inhabitants, it was thought they intended to give us battle. Gene-
ral Scott now ordered me with the ninth regiment to the left of the road, and
to keep within supporting distance of the column ; having gained my position,
the column again moved forward. After marcliing in quick time about half a
mile, and coming to a narrow piece of woods north of .Mrs. Wilson's, and be-
tween her house and the village at Lundy's lane, the enemy commenced a fire
upon our advance, which consisted of Captain Harris's commandj and a com-

APPENDIX.

pany of Infantry commanded by that gallant ofTiccr, Captain Pentland, of the
22d infantry. Tlie column were again halted, and I received orders to take
my position with my command in the column of line. After tliis order was
executed, General Scott detached the 25lh regiment under the command of
Colonel Jcsiip to the right, to seek and attack the left of the enemy's line.
The ninth, twenty-second, and eleventh regiments now passed the advanced
corps by order of General Scott, and moved into a smooth field on the north
side of the before mentioned woods, and west of the Niagara road. It was
now about half past five o'clock, P. M. the enemy commenced firing upon us
from uine pieces of artillery (two of which were brass 24 pounders) and with-
in canister distance. They also opened at the same lime a brisk fire upon us
from a heavy line of infantry posted to the right, and obliquely in front of
their artillery, often advancing into the field so far as to have the rear of the
battalion or regiment in advance clear of the woods. General Scott ordered,
•' form line to the front." The riglit of the column being in front, this order
was immediately executed by the echelon movement of companies to the left.
The 22d and 11th regiments moved in column until gaining their respective
distances, formed line in the same manner. At about the same time the com-
pany of artillery under the comrhand of Colonel (then Captain) Towson, an of-
ficer above my encomium, was moveil up and formed on the right of the ninth
regiment, and by its frequent and incessant discharges highly animated the spi-
rit of the troops. Under this formation the action continued for nearly an
hour, when 1 heard that the Hth regiment, being out of ammunition and their
gallant leader Colonel M'Neil severely wounded, and all the Captains of that
regiment either killed or wounded, had retired from the field. These facts
were related to me by Captain John Bliss of that regiment, who, though se-
verely wounded, gallantly oflTered his services to me, as did also Major (then
Captain) Harris, of the Dragoons, his command being unable, from the nature
of the ground, to act. I cannot forbear to mention that Lieutenant Crawford,
adjutant, and Lieutenant Sawyer, as well as several other officers, whose names
I do not now recollect, of the 11th regiment, joined my command, and render-
ed me very able and essential services, particularly those gentlemen whose
names I have mentioned.

Soon after the 11th regiment had retired. Colonel Brady of the 22d regi-
ment being severely wounded, and that regiment having also exhausted its
ammunition, shared the same fate with the 11th, and many of the officers, as
well as rank and file, joined the standard of the 9lh, and fought the enemy with
a spirit and bravery bordering upon desperation. I regret that the names of
those officers are not at present recollected, and that I have not any documents
in my possession by which I can ascertain them.

Colonel Towson finding from the elevated situation of the enemy's artillery
that he could not bring his artillery to bear upon them, had nearly or quite
ceased firing, and from at least 20 minutes before sundown, the field was con-
tended for by the enemy against the 9th regiment alone, and those who had
joined its standard. During this time, General Scott sent his aid. Captain
Worth, with orders to advance upon the enemy with a view to charge him.
We ceased firing, and advanced with supported arms, imtil the order was
co\mtermanded : probably in consequence of the shattered condition of the
11th and22d regiments. Throwing forward our riglit to meet the enemy, who

APPENDIX.

were pressing^ery hard upon our left, the regiment again commenced firing
more briskly, if possible, than before. A circumstance occurred during this
time, which, though highly gratifyinpr, fills me with remorse to mention ; and
nothing but the honour of my corps, would mduce me to do so. The bearer
of the battalion colours of the 11th being cut down, I presumed those colours
had fallen to the ground, and it was the peculiar good fortune of Lieutenant
Otis Fisher, of the 9th regiment, to find and raise them, into the hand of the
standard bearer of the 9th regiment, who was at that time Corporal Keniston,
senior Corporal of the colour guard. Sergeant Dewing, to whom they had
been entrusted, (for want of a sufficient number of officers,) having been se-
verely wounded, and compelled to leave the field.

Major Harris again came to me, and offered me his services. I desired him
to inform General Scott that the rule for retreating was fulfilled. General Scott
soon came and ordered me to maintain my ground, and gave me the pleasing
information that General Brown was approaching with General Ripley's bri-
gade, and General Porter's volunteers.

At this moment. General Scott's horse was wounded and rendered useless.
At about 9 o'clock, as I suppose from the circumstance of its being then
dark, the arrival of General Ripley's brigade and other reinforcements was an-
nounced.

At this moment the enemy ceased their fire, and retired from the field.
General Scott ordered all the men of the 11th and 22d regiments who could
be found, to be collected and formed into one battalion. While we were doing
this, General Scott announced to us the capture of Major-general Rial ; the
men gave three cheers, which drew a shell from the enemy, which passed our
line, and exploded in the column of artillery, commanded by Lieutenant-colo-
nel (then Major) Hindman, and blew up a caisson of ammunition belonging to
Captain Ritchie's company.

A brisk and heavy fire of musketry informed us that General Ripley with his
brigj^de had attacked the enemy on the hill with a view to carry their park of
artillery. The firing on the hill soon ceased, and the battalion composed of
the 9th, 11th, and 22d regiments being formed, the command of it was given to
Colonel Brady, who yet continued on the field, though severely wounded. He
was assisted by Major Arrowsmith, of the 22d. General Scott's brigade ma-
jor, Captain Smith of the 6th, and his aidde-camp, Captain Worth, of the 23d,
being both severely wounded, and having left the field. General Scott accepted
an offer from me to act as his aid.

General Scott then formed the remainder of the brigade (except the 25th
regiment) into column, and moved across the field in a westerly direction, and
formed them in line on the south side of a narrow lane a little to the south of,
and running nearly the same direction as Lundy's lane. I was then ordered by
General Scott, to find General Brown, if possible, and desire him to give or-
ders for the disposition of General Scott's brigade. 1 rode on the hill, and the
enemy again commenced an attack, with a view to regain their artillery ; but
they were soon repulsed, and I found General Brown, who rode with me to see
General Scott. After Generals Brown and Scott had conversed a few minutes,
1 was ordered by General Scott to take command of the Consolidated Battalion
(Colonel Brady being too much exhausted by the loss of blood to command,
vhough he declined leaving the field). My orders were to march the batlalioii

\.

APPENDIX.

to the top of tl)e liill, and form there as a second line. They were formed in
Lundy's lane, willi ilic right toivards the Ni:ipara road ; and their left in the
rear of tlie captured artillery. Tills artillery and the American field artillery,
under command of Major Hindman, occupied the summit of the eminence
near the old church. Next on ihe ritjhi of his artillery was the 23d regiment,
and then the 25tii regiment on the extreme ri[;ht. On the left of the artillery
was tlic 21st rif^iment, with some other troops consolidated with it ; then the
Jst infantry, (jcni-ral I'orler's volunteers occu|)ied the extreme left. The ar-
my was thus silaated when information was received, thai the enemy were
again advancing, and their near approach was discovered by a sheet of fire
from both armies, who were not to exceed thirty yards from each other, and
nearly in parallel lines.

General Scott having been absent from us a short time, for the purpose, as
I supposed, of ascertaining the situation of the enemy, returned and asked me
in a loud and animated voice, "are these troops prepared for the charge,"
and without giving me time to answer him, he added, " Yes, I know they are
prepared for any thing,'' and he ordered me to form them in close column,
left in front. This being done, General Scott ordered, " Forward and charge,
my brave fellows," and leading the column himself, we passed through our
line between tlie pieces of our artillery, and came in contact with the left of
the enemy's line, a short distance past the centre, which immediately gave
way. Owing however to the darkness of the night, our column had become
in some degree irregular, we passed the extreme left of General Porter's vo-
lunteers, and formed our men in line. General Scott again ordered me to form
the troops " in column at half distance, right in front." This order being
executed, General Scott again led the column to the charge, with a view to
turn ilie enemy's right flank, but finding that flank supported by a heavy se-
cond line, the charge was withdrawn. General Scott tiien passed througli the
American line, and joined Colonel Jesup with the 25th regiment on the right
of that Ime, and was there wounded. The remainder of General Scott's bri-
gade were again formed a small distance from the left of General Porter's vo-
lunteers. This was executed in the presence of Alajor-general Brown. He
informs me that he was wounded at this period. In executing formation, I re-
ceived the most essential services from Lieutenant Cushman, acting adjutant
of the 9tli regiment, and Lieutenant Crawford, adjutant of the lltli regiment,
liieutenant Brady of the 22d also rendered me the most subst.intial service on
this occasion. In my opinion he has merited the particular attention of the
War Department, as much as any officer in the army.

This formation being executed. Major Jones, assistant adjutant general, ge-
nerously offered to ascertain the position of the contending armies, and inform
me at what point the troops then under my command could be led into action
to the greatest advantage, and without injury to our own men of other corps.
Having been dismounted since the first charge, this offer was of the greatest
service to me, and most gladly did I accept it. Major Jones then reconnoitred
in the most gallant manner, under an incessant fire of musketry, the situation
of the American line, and reported it to mc. From this report I Mas induced
to lead the troops under my command to the summit of the hill. Firing had
now ceased on both sides. The thickest and most impenetrable darkness pre-
vailed. All was still, and nothing to be heard but tlic groans of the wounde*.!

APPENDIX,

and dying. Moving forward to gain the summit of the hill, I was hailed by
General Scott, who informed me of his wounds, and ordered me to push for-
ward and join the 25th reg;iment, under the command of Colonel Jesup, who
was also severely wounded. General Scott informed me, he was then compel-
led by the severity of his wounds to retire from the field, and ordered me in
case the enemy should again return to the contest, to seek an opportunity to
charge, and drive them from tlie field with the bayonet. In a short time after.
General Brown Iiailed me, and inquired for General Scott. I informed him
that he was wounded and gone from the field. He then informed me of his
«wn wounds, and said he must also retire, and that I must look to General Rip-
ley for orders, as the command of course devolved on him. 1 then moved on,
and formed my men on the right of tlie 2oth regiment, and the extreme right
of the American line. Colonel Jesup and myself now had some conversation
as to our own situation and tliat of the army. His command and my own were
consolidated, and consisted of all the effective men of the first brigade re-
maining on the field, which I do not think exceeded 150 or 200 men, exclusive
of officers. The men were exhausted with fatigue and the want of water.
The enemy had retired from the field, but in what direction was not knpwn.
From the length of their lines, which we had during the action discovered by
our own and their fire, we had reason to believe they were far superior to us in
numbers. To refresh our men on the field would be hazardous in the extreme,
and we were liable to be flanked on our left, and cut off from our camp at
Chippewa. Under these circumstances, not knowing the situation of General
Ripley's brigade or General Porter's corps, it was decidedly my opinion that
the army ought to return to their camp at Chippewa. Colonel Jesup express-
ed to me the same opinion. He also directed me to take command of the
troops of the first brigade, while he went in search of General Ripley for or-
ders and information. Colonel Jesup suffering the most excruciating pain
from his wounds, and it being excessively dark, was unable to find General
Riple)', and soon returned to me, and again took command of the troops, and
directed me to find General Ripley, if possible, and obtain orders and informa-
tion as to the intended course of operations. I soon found General Ripley, and
informed him of my wish, and my directions from Colonel Jesup. General
Ripley inquired the strength and situation of the first brigade, and while do-
ing so, a person rode up to General Ripley, with orders from General Brown
(as I understood). General Ripley then told me had received orders from Ma-
jor-general Brown, to collect the wounded, and return with those, and the ar-
my, to the camp at Cliippewa. General Ripley then gave me orders to the
same effect, as it respected the first brigade. His information and order was
immediately communicated by me to Colonel Jesup. He feeling that the ac-
tion was over, and suffering severely from his wounds, did what most men
would have sooner done : he gave to me the command of the troops of the
first brigade, and retired from the field. He however continued near us, and
probably would have joined us, had we been attacked. All the wounded who
could be found on and near the field were put into wagons, which had been
sent from the camp at Chippewa for tlnit purpose, and sent off. General Rip-
ley was very particular in his orders, that the movement of the troops should
be conducted with regularity and order, and so far as came to my knowledge,
his orders were strictly obeyed. Not a shot was fired from the enemy, and our

APPENDIX.

troops moved in as good order, and with as much regularity from, as to th«
field, and arrived at Chippewa between one and two on llic morning of the
26th.

During the whole of this night, as well during the action as after it, I was
impressed witii a high sense of the merit of General Iliplcy as a soldier, and
tlie gallantry of his brigade in capturing the enemy's artillery. He manifest-
ed on that occasion, wliile in conversation with me, all tliat coolness and deli-
beration for which he has become distinguished, and which was so peculiarly
necessary at a moment big with the fate of the army uuder his command, and
the honour and glory of the American arms.

Having a hope that this statement may, at some daj-, appear to the world as
an honest relation of facts, I sliould do great injustice to my feelings, did I
not mention the gallant conduct of Captain Pentland, of the 22d regiment.
Soon after the commencement of the action, he brought his company (which
had been the advance of General Scott's brigade) into action, on my right.
This was done in the most brave and soldierly manner. His example and con-
versation had the most beneficial efTect during the warmest of the action, and
contributed greatly to keep the men steady and active in their duty.

As to the 9th regiment, which on that occasion I had the honour to com-
mand, I cannot make particular distinction as to the merits of individuals.
Every man in the regiment, from the highest to the lowest, gave xne the most
perfect satisfaction. They maintained their ground against an overwhelming
fluperiority of force, in a manner which has seldom been excelled for gallantry
in any age or country. It has been stated that their numbers were but 150
rank and file when they entered the field ; and it will appear from the official
return of killed and wounded, that 128, including every officer with the regi-
ment, were included in that report. It is due to the memory of Lieutenant
Burghardt, who was killed at the close of the action, to say that he particu-
larly distinguished himself, by continuing to do his duty in the most able man-
ner, after being severely wounded in the left side, at the commencement of
the action, although he bled freely, and was advised by me several times to go
to the rear, he declined to do so, and continued with me until he was shot
through the breast in liie last charge.

On the morning of the 26th, at about 7 or S o'clock. Colonel Gardner, adju-
tant-general, came to me with an order to make a field report, stating tiie
strength of the first brigade, and to prepare them to march, and take posses-
sion of the field of battle immediately. I immedl.itely took measures to ascer-
tain the strength of the several regiments. The 9th regiment I counted my-
self, and recollect its efliectlve force was 64 men. The strength of the other
regiments I do not recollect. My impression now is, that the whole strength
of the brigade, exclusive of attendants on the wounded, and the details for
guard then on duty, did not e.xceed 5 or 600 men. The troops were formed,
and took up the line of march at about nine o'clock. After crossing the Chip-
pewa, I received orders from General Ulplcy, to take possession of the works
at Cliippewa with the first brigade, which was done by bridging the ditch on
the south side of the breastwork, thereby making a platform for llie men to
stand upon.

From wliat I saw of our forces, which I do not think at that time exceeded
15 or 1600 men; and from what 1 had seen of the enemy's force the preceding:

APPEXDIX.

evening, 1 did think it the most consummate folly to attempt to regain, possession of
the field of battle — and every officer witli whom I conversed, among- whom were
many of the first distinction, expressed their astonishment at such an attempt, and
their surprise that every exertion was not made immediately to take up the
line of march for Fort Erie. The troops however re-crossed the Chippewa at
about 12 o'clock, and took up the line of march for Fort Erie. We arrived
and encamped in good order, in the field opposite the Black Rock ferry, on the
evening of the 26th July.

The march from Chippewa to Fort Erie, was made in the most perfect or-
der, nor was any thing left behind us which could be of any advantage to tlic
fcnemy.

With the highest esteem and respect, I have the honour to be. Sir, your
obedient servant,

(Signed) H. LEAVENWORTH, Colonel U. S. Army.

No. X.

TESTIMONY OF CAPTAIN M'DONALD.

William j\['JJonald, Captain in the 19th regiment of United States Infantry,
being produced and sworn as a witness by General Ripley — Testified,

That in the campaign of 1814, before and during the battle of Bridgewater,
near Niagara, he was acting aid to Brigadier-general Ripley. On the morning
of the 25th of July, the army under the command of Major-general Brown,
was encamped on the upper side of Chippewa Creek ; many of the men were
that day engaged in washing, and about half an hour before sun-set, were
still out, when a firing was heard, which they in camp ascribed to General
Scott's being engaged with the enemy, as he had marched out with his brigade
about two hours before.

When General Scott first marched out, it was the general impression that
I\e had done so for the purpose of parade and drill. Our army at this time
consisted of two brigades of regular troops, commanded by Brigadier-gene-
rals Soott and Ripley, and a small corps of 5 or 600 volunteers under General
Porter.

The total of General Ripley's brigade may have amounted to about 900 : the
cfFeclives from 7 to 800. The day before at Queenstown heights, he recollect-
ed hearing General Scott say that his brigade contained about the same num-
ber— perhaps rather less.

About the 16th of July, they had intelligence that General Rial, of the Brl-
tish army, lay at 10 and 12 mile Creek, with 1500 men. According to the ge-
neral impression, he had a fortified encampment — to the best of his knowledge
no precise information was received of the force and position of the enemy be-
tween the IGth and 25th of July.

On the day lust mentioned, the proportion of those who formed the washing*
parties and scattered men of the camp, amounted in the second brigade alone,
to 150 or 200 men. There were parties from the other brigade also, but he
could not slate the number.

When General Scott moved out in the afternoon, no idea was entertained
that there would be an action, nor had they any knowledge of the vicinity of
•-he enemy—the first information they had was from the firing.

APPENDIX.

In the order of the encampmcni, tlic first brigade under General Scott reit-
cd on the Cliippewa; the second commanded by tiencral Itipley, about two
hundred yards distant, with their front to the Niagara, and at right angles to
thefirsi. Tiic encampment embraced the angle formed by the Niagara and
Chippewa, which at that place formed a junction. Across the Chippewa was
a bridge, over which General Scott hud passed and advanced about two miles,
when the firing of musketry commenced. Immediately on hearing it. Gene-
ral Kipley ordered his brigade to be formed. By the time this was eflectcd,
the report of artillery was distinguished. Soon after, orders were reccired
from Major-general Brown, through some of his staff, for the second brigade
to advance and reinforce General Scott. General Ripley immediately, on re-
ceiving the order, marched with his brigade, across the Chippewa, and when ^
about half a mile in the rear of the scene of action, it being then near dusk,
despatched the witness in advance to Major general Brown, to ascertain the
situation of the enemy, and what point he should march to, and form his bri-
gade.

The witness, on his way to General Brown, met his aid. Captain Spencer,
proceeding with orders to General Ripley, to form his brigade in the skirts of
a wood on the right of General Scott's. The brigade accordingly continued
to advance, and was in the act of forming the line, when General Ripley re-
marked to Colonel Miller and other commanders that, to form a line in that
place would be of no consequence, as they couUi not advance in line, through
the woods — and they were not then within striking distance of the enemy. —
He added, that he would take upon himself the responsibility of moving fur-
ther on towards the enemy, before he formed. The witness left the brigade
for a few miiiviics ii» oppiisc General Brown of this movement, but did not find
him, and immediately rejoined General Ripley.

The march from the encampment to the scene of action was prompt and ra-
pid, and the brigade for one half the distance was on a long trot to keep with
the General's horse. — While passing the woods in pursuance of General Rip-
ley's deiermina;ion to advance, the fire of the enemy was very heavy, and their
shot and shells fell about us in great quantities, but was more particularly di-
rected at General Scoti's brigade on the left, which the second was then in the
net of passing. The impres.sion was, that (he first brig.ade was at this time suf-
fering very severely from the continued and destructive fire poured in upon them,
and General Ripley in consequence remarked to the witness and Colonel Miller,
that he would dela'-h the 2lst regiment, commanded by the latter, to carry the
enemy's artillery, adding, that unless this was done, they would destroy our
whole force, or compel us to fall back. It was then completely dark, and
though it was known their artillery was posted on an eminence, we had no
knowledge of their number, or bow they were supported. The distance of
General Scott's line from the enemy, must have been between three and
four hundred yards at that time, and there was then no firing of musketry
from it.

.\fier General Ripley's suggestion to Colonel Miller, the latter immediately
made dispositions to execute it — displayed his regiment by forming a line on
the left of the road nearly fronting the enemy's artillery. General Ripley, at
the sttne tune he gave the order for the 21st to storm the battery by un attack
in front, directed the 23d to form in column, and march against the enemy's
VOL. I. (d)

APPENDIX.

flank. About the time the 21st was preparing to move as directed, the witness
met General Brown, who enquired for General Ripley, and asked what disposi-
tions.he had made ; the witness informed him, he approved of it, appeared
quite- elated with the intelligence, and accompanied him to General Ripley.
Some conversation took place between them, and in a very few minutes both
battalions were in motion ; the 21st commanded by Colonel Miller, the 23d by
Major M'Farland, but led by General Ripley in person. — While the 23d was
advancing- to operate against the enemy's flank, and about 150 yards distance
frcrtn the height, they received a fire in front from perhaps 50 or 60 musketry,
which threw them into confusion for a few minutes, and caused them to fall
back about 50 or 60 yards. The regiment however speedily recovered and
formed into column, sooner than he has ever known one formed for parade-
though perhaps not with equal accuracy. Some difficulty occurred in forming
the platoons. In consequence of their having been broken ; but their numbers
were guessed at, and wheeled into column, with a view to despatch and to fa-
cilitate the movement. The whole was accomplished under the particular di-
rection and immediate agency of Brigadier-general Ripley. His exertions to
effect it were very great, and no one could be more active than he was. The
whole interval from the moment the fire was received in front, until the actual
re-organlzation of the column in readiness to advance, did not exceed five mi-
nutes. They then marched directly, and displayed upon the enemy's fiank.-
While this was performing, Colonel Miller had advanced pursuant to his or-
ders against the front, and succeeded in carrying the enemy's battery, consist-
ing of seven pieces of artillery; to wit, two brass twenty-fours and smaller
ones. Having passed the position where the artillery had been planted, Colo-
nel Miller again formed his line facing the enemy, an J engaged them within
twenty paces distance. There appeared a perfect sheet of fire between the two
lines. While the 21st was in this situation, the 23d attacked the enemy's flank,
and advanced within twenty paces of it, before the first volley was discharged ;
a measure adopted by command of General Ripley, that the fire might be ef-
fectual and more completely destructive. The movement compelled the ene-
my's flank to fall back immediately by descending the hill out of sight ; upon
which the firing ceased. Pi-ior to the fire of the 23d, the enemy were closing
in upon Colonel Miller's command, which appeared to be hard pressed, and as
he conceived was recoiling ; the force opposed amounting to double his num-
ber ; but by the prompt aid of the 23d, the heights were gained, and cleared
of the enemy. After this was achieved, the 21st and 23d formed in line by or-
der, and under the direction of General Ripley, leaving the batteries which had
been carried in the rear. While thus circumstanced, a detachment of the 1st
regiment, which consisted of from 100 to 200 men, and had remained in the
rear, joined them on the heights, and was by General Ripley formed into the
line. He could not say what had detained the above detachment so long from
the scene of action .

Shortly after the line was formed. General Ripley sent liim to ask General
Brown whether the captured artillery should not be moved oft' the field to-
wards Chippewa. The witness met General Brown ascending the hill, and de-
livered his message : The latter replied, there were matters of more impor-
tance to attend to at that moment, and he should see General Ripley himself.
He appeared highly elated, and rode with him to General Ripley; but the. wit-

APPENDIX

ness did not licar the conversation which passed. TIic heights thus gained,
were a very commanding position, and contained all the enemy's artillery, capa-
ble of enfilading in every direction. While llic second brigade thus occupied the
heights. General Scott's brigade was about three hundred yards distant, and
no enemy between them. The firing from it had by this time nearly ceased.

After General Brown's interview with General Ripley, he left the hill, as the
witness understood, in search of General Scott. The 25th regiment then joirt-
ed the second brigade, was formed on the right, nearly at right angles to the
23d regiment, its left resting on Towson's artillery, and disposed so as to flank
the enemy in case they attacked. The artillery under command of Major
Hindman and Captain Towson, had come up but a few moments before, in con-
sequence of General Uiplcy's request communicated by the witness to Major
Hindman, and complied with by him.

While General Ripley's line wns thus formed on the eminence, the enemy
advanced upon it in considerable force — out-flanking its rig^ht and left, and far
exceeding it in numbers. On finding them approaching, General Ripley or-
dered tile brigade to reserve its fire until the enemy's bayonets should touch,
iiT preference to firing first. This was done with a view to observe the flash
of their muskets, and to take aim by the assistance of their light. The order
was obeyed : the enemy advanced within ten or twelve yards of our right,
composed of the 23d regiment. After receiving their fire, we returned it : the
action then became general: a tremendous conflict ensued for about twenty mi-
nutes ; at the expiration of which, the enemy gave way, and again fell back out
of sight. We having much the advantage of the ground, the enemy generally
fired over our heads, but the continual blaze of light was such as to enable us
distinctly to see their buttons. An interval of half an hour followed, when
the enemy advanced a second time, nearly in the same manner, attacked pre-
cisely in the same point, but did not approach so near, before the firing com-
menced. Our left had by this time been thrown forward by order of General
Ripley, and the line formed nearly parallel, with the addition of General Por-
ter's volunteers on the left, and General Scott with the three remaining batta-
lions on the right ; but the latter were so situated, as not to be engaged. The
contest was more severe, and he thinks, longer continued than the last. The
same precautions were enjoined by General Ripley, with respect to his men
reserving their fire, and the reception of the enemy was ec^ally warm. Some
part of our right and left gave way; but our centre, composed of the 2lst re-
giment, stood firm, with the exception of some platoons which also fell back :
the enemy were repulsed, and retired again from the contest. General Rip-
ley, in person, rallied the detachments which gave way on the right, and suc-
ceeded in bringing them back into action before the retreat of the enemy. Aa
interval, not to exceed three quarters of an hour, ensued ; during which, all
was darkness and silence ; scarce interrupted by a breath of air. The men
had neither water nor whiskey to refresh themselves, after the fatigues they
had endured.

The Court adjourned to Wednesday, 15th March, 1815, 11 o'clock, A. M.

Trov, March 15, 1815.
The Court convened pursuant to adjournment— the same Members pre-
sent.

APPENDIX.

The examination of Captain JIfi>owoW being resumed.— He stated, That at
the expiration of the interval last mentioned, the enemy advanced a third time
to recover their anillery. It was our impression that they had been rein-
forced, and this was confirmed by prisoners who were taken at the time.
The advance of the enemy was similar to the two preceding ones, and the fire
was ngain opened by their line. General Ripley's brigade reserved their fire
as before The duration and order of the conflict— its result, and the retreat
of the enemy, were in all essential points, similar to the last.

In every attack, the enemy were repulsed. General Ripley made every pos-
sible exertion to inspire and encourage his troops ; exposed his person during
the hottest of the fire of the enemy ; and as he considered, more than was ne-
cessary. The witness several times endeavoured to prevail upon him to retire,
but without effect. His perseverance was unremitted; sometimes acting as
file closer as well as commsnHpp He gape his orders with perfect coolness
and deliberation, and attended as far as possible, to their proper execution.
The witness never knew him more collected.

General Ripley's position was never more than ten or twelve paces in the
rear of his line. He received two balls through his hat, and his horse was
wounded during the several encounters. He, Lieutenant-colonel Nicholas, and
the witness, were the only mounted officers of the second brigade.

After tlie last attack, the second brigade for three fourths, or one half an
hour, remained on the hill with very little change of position : its left was per-
haps thrown back. In the interim, General Ripley despatched the witness
with orders to General Porter, to send fifty or one hundred volunteers of his
command, directing them to report to Colonel M'Rae, and remove the captur-
ed artillery from the heights to the camp on the Chippewa- He delivered the
orders, saw the volunteers detached, and marched on the hill. — Owing to there
being no drag-ropes for the artillery, no horses on the ground, and the guns
being unlimbered, it was found impracticable to remove them, and the volun-
teers were then employed in removing the wounded. Prior to the attempt to
remove the captured pieces> he saw no artillery corps on the ground, they hav-
ing retired in consequence of their ammunition being expended and some of
their caissons blown up, by the enemy's rockets and shells

On the return of the witness, after communicating the preceding order to
General Porter, preparations were made for the second brigade to retire,
agreeable to orders from General Brown, as General Ripley at the time inform-
ed him. He also stated that Generals Brown and Scott were both wounded
and had left the field. Our army accordingly retired unmolested, and it was
his impression at the time, that the whole column did not exceed 700 when
the retrograde movement was made. It was understood that vast numbers
were employed in carrying off the wounded. Others had given out for want
of water. When the second brigade marched to the field of battle, they met
a considerable number of the first brigade returning to camp, some slightly
wounded, and others carried off by those who were uninjured. Many wound-
ed were left on the ground after the battle, they being scattered over a consi-
derable extent, and the night dark, it was impossible to find them. He does
not think any wounded of Brigadier-general Ripley's brigade were left, unless
some who attempted to get off without assistance, and failed.

APPENDIX.

Wlien General Ripley gave the order for llic ajmy to retire, he dirccU-d the
several communders of battalions to colleci all the wounded ; and in the in-
terval before retiring', he used every exertion to liavc this order properly exe-
cuted.

While the army was movinj^ back and afterwards, lie knows of no other
measures being taken to furnish horses, supply drag-ropes, and bring ofT the
artillery which remained on the heights, with the exception of the smaller
ones, which had been rolled down the hill.

After 12 o'clock at night the army regained their camp The witness add
ed, that the pickets and washing parties were not brought up, nor at all en-
gaged during the action. Shortly after the return to camp, about one o'clock,
Major-general Brown directed Brigadier-general Ripley.* • The Ge-
neral Order dissolving the Court, which follows, was at this period of the in
vestigation, received by the President, and no further testimony was lieard.

I certify that the foregoing is a true copy of the minutes and proceedings
of the Court of Enquiry of which Major-general H. Dearborn was President,
so far as the Court proceeded in the investigation of the subject matter enjoin-
ed by the General Order constituting said Court.

(Signed) EVERT A. BANCKER, Judge Advocate.

The undersigned officers, who served in General Ripley's brigade at the
battle of Bridgewater, do certify on honour, that the narrative given in the
foregoing minutes of Captain M'Donald's testimony, corresponds with our
knowledge and recollection of the conduct of General Ripley, and the opera-
tions of his brigade during that action.
Mbuny, March 17///, 1815.

(Signed) N. S. CLARKE, Capt. and Brig. Maj. 2d Brigade.

Lieut. JNO P. LIVINGSTON, .Adjutant 23d Infant.
JOHN W. IIOLDlNti, Lieut, and Briff. Maj. to Gen. Miller,
and Adj. of the 2'\.st Reg. of Infant, at the Battle of Bridgeviater.

GENERAL ORDER.

Adjutant and Inspector-GeJieraPs Office, 4fh Jilurch, IS 15.
The Court of Enquiry, of which Major-general Dearborn is President, which
was ordered to investigate the conduct of Brigadier-general Ripley, during the
last campaign, is discharged from that service :

The Congress of the United States having approved his conduct by a highly
complimentary resolve, and the President being pleased to express his favour
able opinion of the military character of General Ripley, he will honourably
resume his command. By Order,

(Signed) D. PARKER, A. and I. General.

No. XI.

TESTIMONY OF BRIGADIER-GENERAL MILLER.

Fort Erie, Sept. Ath, 1814,
Sir.— I improve- the opportunity which a short indulgence from duty :illows,
of hastily communicating to you the occurrences of the action of the 25i.h, and

APPENDIX.

the present situation of the army, which is now closely invested by the enemy
at this post.

On the 25th General Scott was detached from our position at Chippewa by
General Brown, with directions to occupy Qaeenstoivn. He marched with bis
own brigade, and in two hours the sound of his musketry informed us that he
•was closely engag^ed with the enemy. At this time, the 2d brigade and other
corps were quietly remaining in camp. All immediately marched, without
calling in our pickets and other parties, to the support of the 1st brigade.—
We found them at the distance of three miles, gallantly supporting a most un-
equal conflict. Our arrival was a little past sun-set, and soon changed the
aspect of the field.

The enemy's artillery was advantageously posted upon an eminence com-
manding the plain. The destruction which it dealt through our ranks, sug-
gested the imperious necessity of carrying the height. Tlds General Ripley
directed to be done with his own brigade — the 2l,st regiment* advanced and
charged tlve battery in-front : he led the 23d upon their /a?!fc— both these re-
giments present, wiere less than 700 men. The movement was performed in the
most heroic manner by both regiments, and in a few minutes we found ourselves
in possession of the whole park, consisting of seven pieces, and the enemy
was routed in every direction. But his line was soon formed in rear of the ar-
tillery, and several most desperate charges were made to regain the ground
and artillery, from which he had been driven : he was repulsed as often as the
attempt was renewed, with great slaughter. During two or three charges the
contest was carried on by the 2d brigade. General Porter soon brought up his
command to support it : and Lieutenant-colonel Jesup, with the 25th regiment^
also arrived at the same point. The action closed at 11 o'clock, and we found
ourselves in complete possession of the field, the enemy having been driven at
every point. We remained near an hour, when General Brown ordered General
Jiipky to retire to the camp — this movement was effected in perfect order, but
through some unfortunate circumstance, the trophies of our victory, the artillery,
'■were not curried off. As General JBrown remained in commajid upon the field wi-
til we retired, I do not consider General Ripley in the least accoxintable for this ne-
flect, more especially as I understood the order was to retire immediately. Some
have shown a disposition to detract from the merit of General Ripley, and to
charge upon him the commission of all the errors which occurred. I am, howe-
ver, fully satisfied of his good conduct generally as an officer, as well as of hi*
discernment and ability in the field on this day.

• General Miller at this time commanded the 21st regiment, and led it to
this charge.

No. XII.

Extract of a Letter from Major-general Brown to the Secretary of War.
You are already apprised that the army had on the 25th ult. taken a posi-
tion at Chippewa. About noon of that day, Colonel Swift, who was posted at
Lewistown, advised me by express, that the enemy appeared in considerable

APPENDIX.

force in Queenstown and on Its heigliis i tliat four of the enemy's fleet liad ar»
rived during the preceding' night, and were then laying near Fort Niagara,
and that a number of boats were in view, moving up the strait. Within a few
minutes after this intelligence had been receircd, I was further informed by
Captain Denmon, of the quarter-master's department, tliat the enemy was
landing at Lewistown, and that our baggage and stores at Schlosser, and on
their way thither, were in danger of immediate capture. It is proper here to
mention, that having received advices as late as the 20lh from General Gaines
that our fleet was then in port, and the Commodore sick, we ceased to look
for co-operation from that quarter, and determined to disincumber ourselves
of baggage, and march directly for Burlingtoa heights. To mask this inten-
tion, and to draw from Schlosser a small supply of provisions, I fell back upon
Chippewa. As this arrangement, under the increased force of the enemy, left
much at hazard on our own side of the Niagara, and as it appeared by the be-
fore stated information, that the enemy was about to avail himself of it, I con-
ceived that the most effectual method of recalling him from this object, was
to put myself in motion towards Queenstown. General Scoit, with the 1st bri-
gade, Towson's artillery, and all the dragoons and mounted men, were accord-
ingly put in march on the road leading thither, with orders to report if the
enemy appeared, and to call for assistance if that was necessary. On the Ge-
neral's arrival at the Falls, he learned that the enemy was in force directly in
his front — a narrow piece of woods alone intercepting his view of them. Wait-
ing only to give this Information, he advanced upon them. By the time as-
sistant Adjutant-general [.lones] had delivered his message, the action began,
and before the remaining part of the division had crossed the Chippewa, it
had become close and general between the advance corps. Though General
Ripley with the 2d brigade, Major Hindman with the corps of artillery, and
General Porter at the head of his command, had respectively pressed forward
with ardour, it was not less than an hour before they were brought to sustain
General Scott, during which time his command most skilfully and gallantly
maintained the conflict. Upon my arrival, I found that the General had pass-
ed the wood and engaged the enemy at Queenstown road, and on the ground
to the left of it, with the 9tli, 11th, and 22d regiments, and Towson's artille-
ry. The 25th had been thrown to the right, to be governed by circumstances.
Apprehending that these corps were much exhausted, and knowing that they
had suffered severely, I determined to interpose a new line with the advancing
troops, and thus disengage General Scott, and llold his brigade In reserve.

Having been for some time wounded, and being a good deal exhausted by
loss of blood, it became my wish to devolve the command on General Scott,
and retire from the field ; but on enquiry, I had the misfortune to learn that he
was disabled by wounds ; I therefore kept my post, and had tlic satisfaction
to see the enemy's last effort repulsed. 1 now consigned the command to Ge-
neral Ripley.

While retiring from the field, I saw and felt that the victory was complete
on our part, if proper measures were promptly adopted to secure it. The ex-
haustion of the men was however such, as made some refreshment neccssarj-. —
They particularly required water. I was myself extremely sensible of the
■want of this necessary article. I therefore believed it proper that General

APPENDIX.

Ripley and the troops should return to camp, after bringnng off the dead, the
wounded, and the artillery ; and in this I saw no difficulty, as the enemy had
entirely ceased to act. Within an hour after my arrival in camp, I was inform-
ed that General Ripley had returned without annoyance and in good order. I
now sent for him, and after giving him my reasons for the measure I was about
to adopt, ordered him to put the troops into the best possible condition ; to
give to them ihe necessary refreshmeni ; to take with him the pickets and camp
guards, and every other description of force ; to put himself on the field of
battle as the day dawned, and there to meet and beat the enemy if he again
appeared. To this order he made no objection, and I relied upon its execu-
tion. It was not executed. I.feel most sensibly how inadequate are my pow-
ers in speaking of the troops, to do justice either to their merits or to my own
sense of them. Under abler direction, they might have done more and
better.

No. XIII.

TESTIMONY OF ADJUTANT LIVINGSTON.

Sacket^s Harbour, 6th March, 1815.
On the night of the 25th July, 1814, at the battle of Bridgewater, Major
Austin, aid to Major-general Brown, gave orders to Brigade-major Clarke and
myself to communicate to General Ripley thai Generals Brown and Scott were
wounded, and the command devolved on General Ripley ; and that it was Ge-
neral Brown's orders that General Ripley should march the troops from the
field of action to the mouth of Chippewa Creek, where vhe army had encamp-
ed previous to the battle, without delay; and if he was attacked in makmg his
retreat, he should defend himself. This order we received at the "White
House, about half a mile from where the battle was fought. We accordingly
made all h iste to inform you of this order, which order Brigade-major Clarke
communicated to you, Sir, in my presence. Previous however to your receiv-
ing this order, there were, I should say, ten or twelve wagons going to the
field of battle, to carry off the wounded : they had arrived as far as the White
House, when tliey were ordered not to proceed any further, but to return to
camp. I cannot say who gave the order tor them not. to proceed any fur-
ther. :!','"''"/

Your most obedient, most humble servant, ' ^

(Signed) JNO. P. LIVINGSTON, Adjutant 23d In/:

No. XIV.

COLONEL HINDMAN'S STATEMENT.

After the enemy was repulsed a Bridgewate'* die last time by our troops on
the iiill, 1 rode to the reai to bring up my sp<ire ammunition wagons. On my
return wiih ihem, I met General Brt>wn, wiio gave me orders to tne following
effect : " Collect your artillery s w^^ll as you can, and retire immediately, we
shall all march to camp." He observed that we had done as much as we could

APPENDIX.

do ; that nearly all our officers were killed or wounded ; that he himself was
wounded, and he tliought it best to retire to camp. I proceeded to cx< cute
my ordei's — llie firing had ceased. — Wiien upon the iiill with the troops, 1 in-
quired for General Ripley, to communicate the orders 1 had received. I did
not see General Ripley at that time.

Immediately after this, I turned my attention to getting off the enemy'g
brass 24 pounder, and for this purpose detached Lieutenant Fontaine, of the
artillery, with orders to take it from the field, and afierwards ordered Lieute-
nant Kineard, of the artillery, to assist him. I then rode to the bottom of the
hill, and after great difficulty, procured some horses, and at the same time or-
dered several wagons to the top of the hill, to bring off the wounded. On my
return to the gun, some of the wagons having previously reached the hill, I
discovered the gun and wagons in possession of the enemy; some of the men
and horses were captured — 1 left the field at the same time. When I reached
the troops on their return to camp. Lieutenant Fontaine mformed me, that I
had left him but a few minutes, before the enemy charged his little party at
the gun, and made them all prisoners. He escaped by dashing through their
ranks on horseback, it being dark.

In my opinion, not more than fifteen hundred men could have been collected
in our camp for battle, on the morning of the 26th of July.

(Signed) J. HINDMAN, Brevet Lieut. Col. U. S. A.

No. XV.

See Appendix, No. XII.

No. xvr.

LIEUTENANT TAPPAN'S STATEMENT.

On the return of the army to camp, the corps to which I belonged was sta-
tioned at the bridge on the opposite side of the Chippewa, to guard that pass
from surprise. Just after the dawn of day on the next morning, the army was
put in motion ; but the sun had acquired a considerable elevation, before oup
column had taken up a line of march towards the ground occupied by us the
preceding night. In this interval justice compels me to s-ay, that your exertions
were unremitted to arrange, concentrate, and precipitate your force upon the
enemy, with the least possible delay. A variety of causes, however, tended to
retard the fulfilment of your designs and wishes ; among which the death or
disability of many of our ablest officers, the extreme fatigue of the troops,
and the dispersed and deranged state of tlie different corps, may be enume-
rated. Corroborative of the latter estimation, I shall remark, that, of the
company which I commanded, consisting of forty.five effectives on the field, of
VOL. T. (e)

APPENDIX.

which seventeen only were killed or wounded, I was able to muster but nine, on
the return of our regiment to Chippewa bridge the preceding night.

Having proceeded about half a mile on the Queenstown road, I was ordered
(by General Ripley) in conjunction with Lieutenant Riddle, of the 15th infan-
try, to proceed with our respective companies through the woods on our left,
advance towards the enemy, and reconnoitre his position, strength, and move-
ments. His order was executed. On unmasking from the woods, we disco-
vered the enemy posted on a height, about a mile in advance of the ground
■where we left him. His whole battery was planted on an eminence upon the
right of the road ; his left extended in line, so far as I could see, through an
orchard towards the Niagara, by which that flank was undoubtedly protected.
His right was in column near the battery, in force, apparently more than sufR-
cient when displayed into line, to extend to a wood, difficult to be penetrated.
The column and line of the enemy was in British artillery and infantry uniform.
I saw no dragoons, (a few videttes and patroles excepted,) no Glengarians, mi-
litia, nor Indians. The enemy's numbers, which I endeavoured to ascertain
with as great degree of comparative accuracy as possible, must have been at
least, one quarter, or one third part, greater than your whole effective force.
His position was commanding, his flanks well covered, his centre impenetra-
ble, unassailable, and it would, in my humble opinion, have been an act of rash-
ness bordering on insanity, to have attempted an attack on a veteran foe, pos-
sessing every advantage, excepting zeal, intelligence, and intrepidity.

(Signed) SAMUEL TAPPAN, 1st Lieut. 23d Reg. U. S. Inf.

No. XVII.

Extract of a Letter from Lieutenant-general Drummend to Earl Bathurst, dated
Upper Canada, near J\'iagara Falls, July 27th, 1814.
I embarked on board his Majesty's schooner Netley, at York, on Sunday
evening, the 24th inst. and reached Niagara at day-break the following morn-
ing. Finding from Lieutenant-colonel Tucker that Major-general Rlall was
understood to be moving towards the Falls of Niagara to support the advance
of his division, which he had pushed on to that place on the preceding even-
ing, I ordered Lieutenant-colonel Morrison, with the 89th regiment and a de-
tachment of the Royals and King's, drawn from Fort George and Mlssissaga,
to proceed to the same point, in order that, with the united force, I might act
against the enemy (posted at Street's Creek, with his advance at Chippewa) on
my arrival, if it should be found expedient. I ordered Lieutenant-colonel
Tucker, at the same time, to proceed on the right bank of the river, with three
hundred of the 41st, and about two hundred of the Royal Scots, and a body of
Indian warriors, supported (on the river) by a party of armed seamen, under
Captain Dobbs, Royal navy. The object of this movement was to disperse or
capture a body of the enemy which was encamped at Lewlstown. Some una-
voidable delay having occurred In the march of the troops up the right banki

APPENDIX.

the enemy had moved off previous to Lieutenant-colonel Tucker's arrival. I
have to express myself satisfied with the exertions of that officer.

Having- refreshed the troops at Queenstown, and having brought across the
41st, Royals, and Indians, I sent back the 41st and 100th regiments to form the
garrisons of tlie Forts George, Misslssaga, and Niagara, ajulcr Lieutenant-co-
lonel Tucker, and moved, with the 89ih, and detachments of the Uoyals and
King'.s, and light company of the 41st, in all about 800 men, to join Major-ge-
neral Riall's division at the Falls.

When arrived within a few miles of that position, I met a report from Ma-
jor-general Riall, that the enemy was advancing in great force. I immediately
pushed on, and joined tlie head of Lieutenant-colonel Morrison's column, just
as it reached tlie road leading towards the Beaver Dam over tiie summit of the
hill at Lundy's lane. Instead of the whole of Major-general Riall's division,
which I expected to have found occupying this position, I found it almost in the
occupation of the enemy, whose columns were within 600 yards of the top of
the hill, and the surrounding woods filled with his liglit troops. The advance
of Major-general Riall's division, consisting of the Glengary light infantry and
incorporated militia, having commenced their retreat upon Fort George, I
countermanded these corps, and formed the 89th regiment and the Royal
Scots detachments, and 41st light companies, in the rear of the hill, their left
resting on the great road ; my two twenty-four pounder brass field guns a little
advanced in front of the centre on the summit of the hill; the Glengary light
infantry on the right, the battalion of incorpoi-ated militia, and the detachment
of the King's regiment on tlie left of the great road; the squadron of 19th
light dragoons in the rear of the left on the road. I had scarcely completed
this formation, when the whole front was warmly and closely engaged. The
enemy's principal efforts were directed against our left and centre. After re-
peated attacks, tiie troops on the left were partially forced back, and the ene-
my gained a momentary possession of the road. This gave him, however, no
material advantage, as the troops which had been forced back formed in rear
of the 89th regiment, fronting the road, and securing the flank. It was dur-
ing this short interval that Major-general Riall, having received a severe
wound, was intercepted as he was passing to the rear, by a party of the ene-
my's cavalry, and made prisoner. In the centre, the repeated and determined
attacks of the enemy were met by the 89th regiment, the detachments of the
Royals and King's, and the light company 41st regiment, with the most per-
fect steadiness and intrepid gallantry, and the enemy was constantly repulsed
with very heavy loss. In so determined a manner were these attacks directed
against our guns, that our artillerymen were bayoneted by the enemy in the
act of loading, and the muzzles of the enemy's guns were advanced within a
few yards of our's. The darkness of the night, during this extraordinary con-
flict, occasioned several uncommon incidents: our troops having for a moment
been pushed back, some of our guns remained for a few minutes in the ene-
my's hands ; they were, however, not only quickly recovered, but the two
pieces, a six pounder and a five and a half inch howitzer, which the enemy
had brought up, were captured by us, together with several tumbrils ; aiid ia
limbering up our guns at one period, one of the enemy's six pounders wag
put, by mistake, upon a limber (>f our's, and one of our six pounders limbered
on one of his ; by which means the pieces were exchanged ; and thus, though

APPENDIX.

we captured two of his guns, yet, as he obtained one of our's, we have gained
only one gun.

About nine o'clock (ihe action having commenced at six) there was a sliort
intermission of firing, during which it appears the entmy was employed
in bringmg up the whole of his remaining force, and he shoitly afterwards re-
newed his attack with fresh troops, but was every where repulsed with equal
gallantry and success. About this period the remainder of Mi.jor-general
Riall's division, which had been ordered to retire on the advance of the ene-
my, consisting of the lOod regiment, und< r Colonel Scott; the head-quarter
division or the Royal Scots ; the bead-quarter division of the 8th or King's ;
flank companies 104ih; some det>chmei;ts of militia, under Lieutenant-colonel
Hamdton, inspecting field officer, joined the troops engaged ; and I placed
them in a second line, with the exception of the Royal Scois, and flank compa-
nies 104th, With which I prolonged my front hne on the right, where 1 was ap-
prehensive of the enemy's out-flanking me. The enemy's efforts to carry the
hill were continued until about midnight, when he had suffered so severely
from the superior steadiness and discipline of his Majesty's troops, that he
gave up the contest, and retreated with great precipitation to his camp be-
yond the Chippewa. On the following day he abandoned his camp, threw the
greatest part of his baggage, .amp-equipage, and provisions, into the Ilapids ;
and having set fire to Street's Mills and destroyed the bridge at Chippewa,
continued his retreat in great disorder towards Fort Erie. My light troops,
cavalry, and Indians, are detached in pursuit, and to hi.rass his retreat, which
I doubt not he will continue until he reaches his own shore.

The loss su.stained by the enemy in this' severe action cannot be estimated at
less than fifteen hundred men, including several hundreds of prisoners left in
our hands ; his two commanding Generals, Brown and Scott, are said to be
wounded; his whole force, which has never been rated at less than five thou-
sand, having been engaged. Enclosed I have the honour to transmit a return
of our loss, which has been very considerable. The number of troops under
my command did not for the first three hours exceed sixteen hundred men ; the
addition of the troops under Colonel Scott did not increase it to more than two
thousand eight hundred of every description.

No. XVIII.

Extract of a Letter from General Winder to the Secretary of Uar, dated Ju'h

9th, 1814.

The objects of the command which has been conferred upon me, have, con-
sequently, since I received it, occupied my serious consideration.

The utmost regular force, which it is probable can, in the present state of
affairs, be placed at my command, including the force necessary for garrison-
ing the several forts, will not exceed 1000, and .lome weeks will necessarily
elapse before the detachments from ^ irginia and Carlisle will reach my dis-
trict : The detachments of the 36th and 3Sth are therefore the only troops that

APPENDIX.

1 can expect to have in the field in the mean lime ; and wlicn tIio.sc oiiicr Ut
lachmeiUs join, the utmost field force will be seven to cij^lit hundred.

In conversulion with you at Washington, I understood the idea, at present
entertained relative to the auxiliary militia force proposed lor the district, v,
be, that it shall be drafted and designated, but that no part of it is to be called
into the field until the hostile force, now in the Chesapeak, shall be reinforced
to such an extent, as to render it probable that a serious attack is contem-
plated.

The enemy's fleet has now spent more than a twelvemonlli in the waters of
the Chesapeak ; and during that time has visited almost every river fulling into
the bay; and must be presumed to have such accurate information, that what
ever expedition may be destined to thes£ waters will have a definitive object,
to the execution of which, on its arrival, it will proceed with the utmost
promptitude and despatch. Should Washington, Baltimore, or Annapolis, be
their object, what possible chance will there be of collecting a force, after the
•irrival of the enemy, to interpose between them and either of those places !
They can proceed, without dropping anchor, to within three hours' rowing
and marching of Baltimore ; within less of Annapolis ; and upon arriving olf
South river, can debark, and be in Washington in a day and a half. This ce-
lerity of movement, on their part, is not probable, owing to adverse weather
and other causes ; but if the enemy has been active, while in our waters, to
acquire a knowledge of our country, of which there can be no doubt, and
should be favoured with weather on the arrival of reinforcements, he can be in
Washington, Baltimore, or Annapolis, in four days from entering the Capes.
But allowing liberally for all causes of detention, he can be in either of those
places in ten days from his arrival. What time will this allow us to hear of his
arrival, to disseminate through the intricate and winding chaimels, the various
orders to the militia, for them to assemble, have their officers designated,
their arms, accoutrements, and ammunition, delivered, the necessary supplier
provided, or for the commanding officer to learn the dinTerent corps and detach-
ments, so as to issue orders with the promptitiicic and certainty so necessary
in active operations ? If the enemy's force should be strong, which, if it come
at all, it will be, sufficient numbers of the militia could not be warned and run
together, even as a disorderly crowd, without arms, ammunition, or organizu
tion, before the enemy would already have given his blow.

Would it not then be expedient to increase the force of my command, bv
immediately calling out a portion of the militia; hO tli;it, by previously select-
ing the best positions for defence, and Increasing, as far as possible, the natu-
ral advantages of these positions, the advance of llie enemy might be retarded,
his force crippled, and time and opportunity thus gained for drawing together
whatever other resources of defence might be competent to resist the cnemv.
The small force of regulars will be incompetent to accomplish any material
works at favourable positions for strengthening he defences, and to supply the
various videttc parties, which it will be necessary to station on the prominent
[joints of the bay, to watch the enemy, and communicate his movements with
the greatest possible despatch.

Allow me, Sir, respectfully to propose that four thousand militia be called
out without delay ; 1 propose to st.ation these in equal proportions in the most
oli.t;lhlc posUions, between South river and Washington, ;ind in the vicinity of

APPENDIX.

Baltimore. Baltimore could not be aided by a force stationed between South
river and Wasliington, unless a force were on the spot to retard the advance of
the enemy until it could arrive, and so with respect to the force at Baltimore,
in co-operating- with that intended to defend Washington. Each could assist
the other if of this magnitude, and it appears to me, that with materially less
means actually in the field and ready for instant action, no hope can be enter-
tained of opposing the enemy in assailing either of those places.

I shall proceed to Annapolis to-morrow, and have but little doubt that the
Executive of Maryland will cordially co-operate in affording such means, as it
may be advisable to call for, and 1 beg you will permit me to procui-e this, or
such other militia force as the President may think proper, immediately to be
called out.

I seni an order from Washington for the detachments of the 36th and 38th
to move up to the head of South river, where I propose to meet them, and fix
upon the most eligible spot fur the camp intended to defend Washington.

You will please, therefore, to direct any communication to me to Annapolis,
which will enable me to make tlie requisite arrangements with the Executive
of Maryland at once.

No. XIX.

Extract of a Letter from Major-general Ross to Earl Bathiirst, one of II. J\l.

principal Secretaries of State, dated Tonnant, in the Patuxent, August oOt/i,

1814.

INIy Lord. — T have the honour to communicate to your Lordship, that on the
night of the 24th inst. after defeating the army of the United States on that
day, the troops under my command entered and took possession of the city of
Washington.

It was determined between Sir A. Cochrane and myself, to disembark the
army at the village of Benedict, on the right bank of the Patuxent, with the
intention of co-operating with Rear-admiral Cockburn in an attack upon a flo-
tilla of the enemy's gun-boats, under the command of Commodore Barney.
On the 20th inst. the army commenced its march, having landed the previous
day without opposition ; on the 21st it reached Nottingham, and on the 22d mov-
ed on to Upper Marlborough, a few miles distant from Pig Point on the Patux-
ent, where Admiral Cockburn fell in with and defeated the flotilla, taking and
destroying the whole. Having advanced to within sixteen miles of Washing-
ton, and ascertaining the force of the enemy to be such as might authorise an
attempt at carrying his capital, I determined to make it, and accordingly put
the troops in movement on the evening of the 23d. A corps of about 1200
men appeared to oppose us, but retired after firing a few shots. On the 24lh the
troops resumed their march, and reached Bladensburgh, a village situated on
the left bank of the eastern branch of the Potowmack, about five miles from
Washington.

On the opposite side of that river, the enemy was discovered strongly post-
ed on very commanding heights, formed in two lines, his advance occupying a

APPENDIX.

fortified bouse, which with artillery covered the bridge over the eastern
branch, across wlxich the British troops had to pass. A broad and straight
road leading from the bridge to Washington, ran through the enemy's position,
which was carefully defended by artillery and riflemen.

The disposition for the attack being made, it was commenced with so much
impetuosity by the light brigade, consisting of the 85th light infantry and the
light infantry companies of the army, under the command of Colonel Thorn-
ton, that the fortified house was shortly carried, the enemy retiring to the
higher grounds.

In support of the light brigade, I ordered up a brigade under the command
of Colonel Brooke, who with the 44th regiment attacked the enemy's left, the
4th regiment pressing his right with such effect, as to cause him to abandon
his guns. His first line giving way, was driven on the second, which, yielding
to the irresistible attack of the bayonet, and the well directed discharge of
rockets, got into confusion, and fied, leaving the British masters of the field.
The rapid flight of the enemy, and his knowledge of the country, preclnded
the possibility of many prisoners being taken, more particularly as the troops
had, during the day, undergone considerable fatigue.

The enemy's army, amounting to 8 or 9000 men, with 3 or 400 cavalry, was
under the command of General Winder, being formed of troops drawn fr^m
Baltimore and Pennsylvania. His artillery, ten pieces of which fell into our
hands, was commanded by Commodore Barney, who was wounded and taken
prisoner. The artillery I directed to be destroyed.

Having halted the army for a short time, I determined to march upon Wash-
ington, and reached that city at eight o'clock that night. Judging it of conse-
quence to complete the destruction of the public buildings with the least pos-
sible delay, so that the army might retire without loss of time, tlie following
buildings were set fire to and consumed. The Capitol, including the Se-
nate House and House of Representatives, the Arsenal, the Dock-yard, Trea-
sury, War Office, President's Palace, Kope-walk, and the great Bridge across the
Potowmack: in the dock-yard, a frigate nearly ready to be launched, and a sloop
of war, were consumed. The two bridges leading to Washington over the
eastern branch had been destroyed by the enemy, who apprehended an attack
from that quarter. The object of the expedition being accomplished, I deter-
mined, before any greater force of the enemy could be assembled, to withdraw
the troops, and accordingly commenced retiring on the night of the 25th.

On the evening of the 29th we reached Benedict, and reembarked the follow-
ing day. In the performance of the operation I have detailed, it is with the
utmost satisfaction I observe to your Lordship, that cheerfulness in undergoing
fatigue, and anxiety for the accomplishment of the object, were conspicuous
in all ranks.

To Sir Alexander Cochrane my thanks arc due for his ready compliance with
every wish connected with the welfare of the troops and the success of the
expedition.

To Rear-admiral Cockburn, who suggested the attack upon Washington,
and who accompanied the army, I confess the greatest obligation for Jiis cor-
dial co-operation and advice.

APPENDIX.^

Extract of a Letter from Vice-admiral the honourable Sir Alexander Cochrane, K.
B. to J. W. Croker, Ei,q.

Tonnant, in the Patuxent, Sept. 2> 1814.

Sir. — I have the honour to acquaint you, for the information of my Lords
Commissioners of the Admiralty, of the proceedings of his Majesty's com-
bined sea and land forces, since my arrival with the fleet within the capes of
Virginia; and I beg kave to offer my congratulations to their Lordships, upon
the successful termination of an expedition, in which the whole of the ene-
my's flotilla under Commodore Barney has been captured or destroyed; his
army, though greatly superior in number, and strongly posted with cannon,
defeated at Bladensburgh — the city of Washington taken, the Capitol, with all
the public buildings, military arsenals, dock-yard, and the rest of their naval
establishments, together with a vast quantity of naval and military stores, a
frigate of the largest class ready to launch, and a sloop of war afloat, either
blown up or reduced to ashes.

Such a series of successes in the centre of the enemy's country, surrounded
by a numerous population, could not be acquired without loss, and we have to
lament the fall of some valuable officers and men ; but considering the difficul-
ties the forces had to contend with, the extreme heat of the climate, and their
coming into action at the end of a long march, our casualties are astonishingly
few.

My letters of the 11th of August will have acquainted their Lordships of
my waiting in the Chesapeak for the arrival of Rear-admiral Malcolm, with
the expedition from Bermuda.

The Rear-admiral joined me on the 17th, and as I had gained information
from Rear-admiral Cockburn, whom I found in the Potowmack, that Commo-
dore Barney with the Baltimore flotilla had taken shelter at the head of the Pa-
tuxent, this afforded a pretext for ascending that river to attack him near its
source, above Pig Point, while the ultimate destination of the combined force
was Washington, should it be found that the attempt might be made with any
prospect of success. To give their Lordships a more correct idea of the place
of attack, I send a sketch of the country upon which the movements of the na-
vy and army are pourtrayed ; by it their Lordships will observe that the best
approach to Washington is by Port Tobacco upon the Potowmack, and Bene-
dict upon the Patuxent, from both of which are direct and good roads to that
city, and their distances nearly alike ; the roads from Benedict divide about 5
miles inland ; the one by Piscataway and Bladensburgh, the other following the
course of the river, although at some distance from it, owing to the creeks
that run up the country; this last passes through the towns of Nottingham
avA Marlborough to Bladensburgh, at which town the river called the eastern
branch, that bounds Washington to the eastward, is fordable, and the distance
is about five miles. There are two bridges over this river at the city ; but it
was not to be expected that the enemy would leave them accessible to an in-
vading ai'my.

Previously to my entering the Patuxent, I detached Captain Gordon of his
Majesty's ship Seahorse, with that ship, and the ships and bombs named in the
Tnargin,* up the Potowmack, to bombard Fort Washington, (which is situated

* Euryaliis, Devastation, ^tna, Meteor, Manby, and Erebus.

APPENDIX.

on the left bank of that river, about ten or twelve miles below the clly,) wiili
a view of destroying that fort, and opening a free communication above, as
Well as to cover the retreat of the army, should its return by the HladcnsburgU
road be found too hazardous, from the accession of strength the enemy might
obtain from Baltimore ; it was also reasonable to expect that the militia from
the country to the northward and westward would flock in, so soon as it should
be known that their capita! wns threntpnffl.

Captain Sir Peter Parker, in the Mcnelaus, with some small vessels, was sent
up the Chesapeak above Biiliimore, to divert the attention of the enemy in that
quarter ; and I proceeded, with the remainder of ihc naval force and the troops,
up this river, and landedthe army upon the 19th and 20th at Benedict.

Extract of a Letter from Rear-culmiral Sir George Cockburn to Vice-admiral Sir

Alexander Cochrane, K. Ji. (Jc. &c. ijc. Dated on board the Retolutioii te?ulcr,

oj" Mount Calvert, Monday night, 22d August, 1814.

I endeavoured to keep with the boats and tenders as nearly as possible
abreast of tlie army under Major-general Uoss, that I might communicate with
him as occasion ofl'ered, according to the plan previously arranged ; and about
mid-day yesterday I accordingly anchored at the ferry-houseopposite lower Marl-
borough, where I met the General, and where the army halted for some hours,
after which he marched for Nottingham, and I proceeded on for the same place
with the boats. On our approaching that town, a \)i\v shots were exchanged
between the leading boats and some of the enemy's cavalry ; but the appear-
ance of our army advancing caused them to retire with precipitation. Cap-
tains Nonrse and Palmer, of the Severn and Hcbrus, joined me this day with
their boats, having found it impracticable to get their ships higher tlum Be-
nodict.

The Major-general remained with the army at Nottingham, and the boats
and tenders continued anchored off' it during the night; and soon after day-
light this morning the whole moved again forward; but the wind blowing dur-
ing the morning down the river, and the channel being excessively narrow,
and the advance of our tenders consequently slow, I judged it advisable to push
on with the boats, only leaving the tenders to follow as they could.

On approaciiing Pig Point, where the enemy's flotilla was said to be, I land-
ed the marines under Captain Uobyns on the left bank of the river, and direct-
ed him to march round and attack, on the land side, the town situated on the
point, to draw from us the attention of such troops as might be there for its de-
fence, and the defence of the flotilla : I then proceeded on with the boats, and
as we opened the reach above Pig Point, I plainly discovered Commodore Bar-
ney's broad pendant in the headmost vessel, a large sloop, and the remainder
of the flotilla extending in a long line astern of her— our boats now advanced
towards them as rapidly as possible ; but on ne:iring thorn, we observed the
sloop bearing the broad pendant to be on fire, and she very soon afterwards
blew up. 1 now saw clearly that they were all abandoned and on fire, witii
trains to their magazines ; and out of the seventeen vessels, which composed
this formidable and so much vaunted flotilla, sixteen were in quick succession
blown to atoms, and the seventeenth (in which the fire had not taken) we caj^-
tured.

VOL. I. (f)

APPENDIX.

From the same to the same. Dated on board H. M Sloop Manly, off J\tuttingham,
Patitxent, 27th JIug. 1814.

Sir. — T have the honour to inform you, that agreeably to the intentions I noti-
fied to you in my letter of the 22d Instant, I proceeded by land on the mornings
of the 23d to Upper Marlborough, to meet and confer with Major-general
Ross as to our farther operations against the enemy ; and we were not long in
agreeing on the propriety of making an immediate attempt on the city of
Washington.

In conformity, therefore, with the wishes of the General, I instantly sent
orders for our marine and naval forces at Pig Point to be forthwith moved
over to Mount Calvert, and for the marines, marine artillery, and a proportion
of the seamen, to be there landed, and with the utmost possible expedition to
join the army, which I also most readily agreed to accompany.

The Major-general then made his dispositions, and arranged that Captain
Robyns, with the marines of the ships, should retain possession of Upper
Martoorough, and that the marine artillery and seamen should follow the army
to the ground it was to occupy for the night. The army then moved on and bi-
voucked before dark, about five miles nearer Washington.

In the niglu Captain Palmer, of the Hebrus, and Captain Money, of the
Trave, joined us with the seamen, and with the marine artillery under Captain
Harrison. Captain Wainwright, of the Tonnant, had accompanied me the day
before, as had also Lieutenant James Scott (acting first Lieutenant) of the Al-
bion.

At day-light the morning of the 24th, the Major-general again put the ar-
my in motion, directing his march i;pon Bladensburgh ; on reaching which
place with the advanced brigade, the enemy was discovered drawn up in force
on a rising ground beyond the town ; and by the fire he soon opened on us as
we entered the place, gave us to understand he was well protected with artil-
lery. General Ross however did not hesitate in immediately advancing to at-
tack him, although our troops were almost exhausted with the fatigue of the
march they had just made, and but a small proportion of our little army had
yet got up : this dashing measure was, however, I am happy to add, crowned
with the success it merited ; for in spite of the galling fire of the enemy, our
troops advanced steadily on both his flanks and on his front ; and as soon as
they arrived on even ground with him, he fled in every direction, leaving behind
him ten pieces of cannon, and a considerable number of killed and wounded ;
amongst the latter Commodore Barney and several other officers ; some other
prisoners were also taken, though not many, owing to the swiftness with which
the enemy went oflT, and the fatigues our army had previously undergone.

It would, Sir, be deemed presumption in me. to attempt to give you particu-
lar details respecting the nature of this battle ; I shall therefore only remark,
generally, that the enemy, eight thousand strong, on ground he had chosen as
best adapted for him to defend, where he had time to erect his batteries, and
concert all his measures, was dislodged as soon as reached, and a victory gain-
ed over him by a division of the British army, not amounting to more than fif-
teen hundred men, headed by our gallant General, whose brilliant achievement
of this day it is beyond my power to do justice to, and indeed no possible com-
ment could enhance.

ERRATA.

iNTRODtJCTios. — Page X, 12th line, for " its head or his bvrenu, it was de-
ranged," read " its head or his bureau, -was deranged."
Page xiv, 10th line from the top, for " writing," read " -writ-
ings."
Same page, 20th line from the top, for " state," read "fate."
Same page, 2Ist line from the top, for " chiid, read " child."

Vol. I.— Page 131, 141, for Atlas, No. IV. V. VI. read JVo. III.

Page 135, for " De Roche de Fermoy," read " Hoche de Fermoy."

Page 219, last line, for " ther," read " their."

Page 263, line 12 from bottom, for " were," read " loas"

Page 276, 7th line from top, for " goods," read " Gods"

Page 825, 13th line from top, for " Has the bridge has been," read

" Has the bridge been"
Page 826, 8th line from top, for " lanes," read " lines."
Page 830, 13th line, for " William Howe," read " Henry Clinton."

Idem, 18th line from top, for " in the," read " on."

Idem, 19tli line from top, for " Howes," read " Clintons."

Idem, 23d line from top, for " Sir William Howe," read " -Sir
Henry Clinton"

Idem, 27th line from top, for " formed," read "forced."

Idem, 32d line, for " XVI." read " XVHI"
Page 831, 20th line from top, for •' Wanderer's,'' read " VandererCa."

Idem, last line, for " in," read " on.'"
Page 832, l5th line from top, for " Stone," read " Stoy."
Page 833, 6th line from top, for •' Wanderer's," read " Vanderen's."
Page 837, 18th line from top, for " with," read " to."

Idem, 26th line from top, for " on," read " in."
Page 840, 16th line from top, for " Army," read " Jlrmy and feet off

the Chesapeak."
Page 843, 1st line, for " Bank," read " JBeacL"
Page 844, 1st line from top, for "far," read "for."
Page 847, 13th line from top, for " were," read " when."
Page 848, 12th line from top, for " this," read " the."

Idem, 5th line from top, for " these," read " those."
Page 849, 2d line from top, for " Platoons," read " Platoon."
Page 850, 15th line from top, for " in a very," read " in very."
Page 851, 4th line from bottom, for " cheers" and '' consoles," read

" cheer " and " console."
Page 852, 21st line from top, for " Ground," read «' Guard."

H

ERRATA.

Vor. n.—Page 26, 15th line from top, for " do," reM\ " say."

Page 74, lines 15 and 16, for " of constitu|5oi.-», justice, and disre-
gard of honour," read " of the constitutidn and .justice, and in dis-
regard of honour.^*
Page 146, in the 4th line of the note, for « 1815," read " 1814.'*

Vot. lir.— Page 224, for " Daniel Brearly," read " David Brearley.'*
Page 293, 3(1 Question, for " two," read " tooV
VagQ 424, l2th line frotn top, for " hospitual," read '• hospital."

(

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